You Can't Hide Forever
by MrsK81
Summary: Bella has been running for six years, always hiding away not really living, but when she meets Edward Cullen that isn't an option anymore. Does she risk everything for him or can she walk away? AH with a bit of everything romance, humor, angst & suspense.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - To anyone who had this story on alert after I first posted, I just want to say that I have not changed anything fundamental about the plot. I have just edited my mistakes and made slight changes to some of the content. **

Chapter 1 - Inner Bella and Mr Delicious.

9:00pm. Another Tuesday night, just another shift at Bar52 in New York City. Or as the regulars preferred to call it, Art's. To be truthful, as far as bar jobs went I had no complaints. The bar drew in regular people, real people-not the wannabes-the Plastic Fantastic girls who wore barely any clothes and who were forever on the prowl for flashy blokes with plenty of money and a nice car.

Not trendy, flashy or anything like the "it" clubs where the Plastic Fantastics went. Art's was small and old-fashioned. There were two bars; the main bar downstairs spread the length of the side wall, with old high-backed wooden stools lined up against it. There were a few tables dotted about on the main floor, with tired-looking fabric seated chairs. Up a few steps at the far end of the club was the pool room, a simple room with three pool tables, a dartboard and-of course–the other bar. The only seats in there were the benches which hugged the perimeter of the room and the simple bar stools. The dark decor and lighting reminded me of a lot of country pubs in rural England. Most of the customers that frequented the place were friendly and didn't ogle your chest and bottom at every opportunity. I guess the style of the bar was comforting to me; it reminded me of home, although I hadn't been "home" for so long I doubted I could call it that anymore.

I was raised in England in a village on the outskirts of London called Thames Ditton. Renee and Phil, my mother and stepfather, ran an old inn for most of their marriage. I was my mother's only daughter and my stepfather had a daughter from a previous marriage named Sarah, who was ten years my senior. My father, Charlie Swan, was American; he and my mother had met while she was travelling the States with her friends when she was in her early twenties. They had a short, but apparently passionate relationship and I was the result. After I was born, my mother stayed in Seattle for a few months with my father, but she had felt too isolated and had returned with me to England.

My parents had always remained on good terms and I flew over to Seattle regularly to stay with my father. Six years ago on my mother's forty first birthday, she and Phil were returning home after a celebratory night out. Phil was driving and had swerved to avoid a fox or some other animal in the road; he lost control of the car and they slammed sidewards into a tree. Phil walked away with just a concussion and a few scratches, but my mother died on impact. Her death hit me really hard and it had been the final straw in an increasingly difficult time of my life. So, I decided to make a fresh start in the States.

My father had welcomed me eagerly and helped me settle into life in a new country by setting me up for a job at his pharmaceutical company as an assistant to one of the sales directors. I soon began to love life in the city. As long as I can remember, Alice had been my best friend despite the fact we lived so far apart, and every time I visited, we would play together–or as we got older, hang out. When I moved here permanently, we grew even closer and she became like a sister. We rented an apartment in the city and, although I missed my friends and family back home**,** I soon began to put my worries behind me. After about four years however, something nasty from my past reared its ugly head and I soon found myself trying to run again.

Of course**,** as soon as I had mentioned moving somewhere new, Alice had insisted on coming with me, so I had let her choose our destination. Now, two years later, I was enjoying life in New York more than I ever thought possible. I felt like I was "home" and would have happily stayed there for the rest of my life. Although, the likelihood of that was slim. At some point I'd be on the move again, of that I was absolutely certain.

Whenever I thought too much about the past, angst would rise up and my blood would run cold. Instinct made me scan the room quickly to check all was well and that _he_ wasn't here, just to put my mind at rest.

_Get a bloody grip Bella, of course he isn't here._

I was frequently visited by the voice of my inner self; the real me I had been hiding away for so long. She featured so prominently in my head that I thought little of it anymore. Although**,** on occasion I had found myself chastising her or retorting like a stroppy teenager rebelling against overbearing parents.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered in response. "Getting a grip. Chill out!"

A light chuckle behind startled me and I heard a man's voice. "You know talking to yourself is never a good sign."

Thoughtlessly, I allowed Inner-Bella to take control and responded icily, "Well, to be honest, I'd much rather talk to myself than an eavesdropping git such as yourself."  
>I spun around to face the voice and immediately regretted my outburst. The man facing me was not just an average customer, he was a man who would have no problem getting me fired. He was an old friend of my boss, Art. This man made up one quarter of a world famous band called Zeus–this man was Edward-frickin-Cullen.<br>"Oh crap," I mumbled as he sat down at the bar.

Before I had a chance to even think of apologising to him, my boss had made his way out of the office next to the bar and greeted his friend.

"Edward buddy, long time no see. How're you doin?" Art was only in his mid-to-late twenties and had inherited the bar from his father - also named Art, hence the bar's nickname. His father had passed away about four years ago and Art had been running the place ever since. The man was a top guy and was probably the most easygoing person I had ever met.

"Good thanks, I'm glad to be back; I missed the place."

I expected him to complain to Art about my attitude and braced myself for a telling-off, but he just glanced quickly at me, a smile on his face, and then began chatting to Art casually.

When I actually stopped to look at this fine specimen of a man, I literally had to wrestle with my brain to close my mouth and stop gaping at him like a goldfish. This guy was easy on the eyes when I'd seen him on TV and in magazines, but face-to-face, he was delicious. I wasn't so good with sizing people up, but I'd say he was about six foot two inches, give or take a little and not particularly brawny, but not skinny either. He had bronze-coloured hair, which had been messed into a bed-head style. He had piercing green eyes-though I could be wrong; the lighting certainly did not help my ogling, and he had lovely kissable lips. Before I could scan the rest of him, I heard someone call an order from further down the bar, so I turned quickly and headed off to serve the customer.

Inner Bella was delighting. _Oh my, he's delicious, delicious, delicious._

I hovered fruitlessly, trying to resume Project Ogle without blowing my cover, while he was still chatting with Art. I heard Mr. Connolly call out for another drink, so I grabbed him a beer and set it down on the bar, still flashing glances at Mr. Delicious.

_Nice name_, Inner-Bella beamed and urged me to continue staring.

I quickly looked at Mr. Connolly, only to see him frowning at me like I had my bra on top of my head or something. "Everything okay, Mr. Connolly? Is there something wrong with your drink?"

"The beer is fine, Bella dear, but I was rather hoping for a whiskey instead." Mr. Connolly practically lived at this place and never in the two years I worked here had he drunk anything other than whiskey.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry, let me get you a whiskey." I smiled sheepishly at the sweet old man, who chuckled quietly.

"Not to worry, it would appear your mind and your eyes are somewhat distracted." He smiled in the direction of Art and Mr. Delicious at the other end of the bar.

The phone rang from the office, so I made my way quickly to answer it. Before I reached the end of the bar, Art stopped me.

"I'll get that. Could you just grab Edward a drink? It's on the house tonight buddy, I'll be back out in a few." Art turned and headed into the office.

Mr. Delicious sat down on a stool and flashed me a wide grin as I approached him. "Hey there, crazy lady. Can I get a beer, please?"

"Sure," I mumbled and pulled him a bottle from one of the fridges. I set it on the bar and started busying myself cleaning up.

"So**,** do you actually talk? To anyone other than yourself of course." He snickered as he took a long drink of his beer. He kept his eyes on me, seemingly waiting for my answer.

My eyes narrowed; who the bloody hell did he think he was talking to? Once again I started ranting like a lunatic.

"Of course I talk; I just don't particularly like talking to jumped-up, arrogant arseholes such as you. I'm sure you have more than enough Plastic Fantastic dolly birds falling at your feet and hanging off your every word, but please don't expect it from me." I stood in front of him, glaring with my hands on my hips.

Mr. Delicious stared straight at me and was clearly dying to smile; he took a swig of his beer and then chuckled. "Well, at least you can talk; that's something, I suppose." He took another long drink and placed the empty bottle on the bar. "Perhaps we should try again.I'm Edward, nice to meet you."

He held out his hand over the bar, flashing me a grin that sent me weak at the knees. Despite my best efforts, I had to smile back. "Nice to meet you too, Edward. Would you like another drink?" I asked in my politest voice and reached over to shake his hand.

_Wow, you are actually touching Mr. Delicious. Maybe you should kiss his hand like you're supposed to kiss the Pope's ring? _Inner-Bella cackled mischievously.

Well, this would certainly be a cool story to tell my flatmates Alice and Angela after I finished work.

"I would love one; however my mom always told me never to accept anything from a stranger, even if the stranger is a beautiful bartender with a very sexy English accent." He shook his head slowly and added, "Of course, it won't be a problem if you tell me your name." He laughed again as he waited for my reaction.

_Oh Bella, Mr. Delicious thinks you're beautiful; tell him you think he's delicious, too._

I rolled my eyes, both at his comment and Inner Bella's request, "My name is Bella, now do you want another drink or what?"

Mr. Delicious flashed me that knee-quivering smile again and I nearly collapsed.

_Jeez Bella, what's wrong with you? Get the man his beer, then leap over this bar, straddle him and rip his shirt open – DO IT, DO IT, DO IT. _Inner Bella was screaming.

"Thank you**,** another beer sounds good." Mr. Delicious' voice interrupted my inner-self's rant and snapped me back to reality. "So Bella, I've never seen you in here before; have you worked for Art long?" he asked as I handed him another drink.

"Yeah, about two years, ever since I moved to New York," I replied, wondering why he was having a conversation with someone he clearly thought had mental problems.

Mr. Delicious leaned forward a little, stared straight at me and said, "Mmmm, well if I'd known I was likely to bump into you, I would have made sure I got back to New York more often."

_Oh, oh, oh! He's flirting with you! _Inner-Bella was ecstatic_. Now will you leap over the bar, straddle him and rip his shirt open?_

I rolled my eyes and snorted; that was the only thing I could do besides actually following Inner-Bella's command. I glanced around the bar; aside from Mr. Delicious and Mr. Connolly, the only other customers in the place were up in the pool room. Weekdays were always quiet; Fridays and Saturdays, on the other hand, were crazy busy.

I peeked back at Mr. Delicious and he was staring at me. When he caught my eye he winked.

_Praise the Lord, Hallelujah! He winked at you; now leap over the bar, straddle him and rip his shirt open._

Inner-Bella was driving me crazy, but my god, it was tempting. I quickly peeked down at his body, or at least as much as I could see above the wore a grey hooded jacket with double-breasted buttons and a white button-down shirt underneath. The top two buttons were open to reveal a tinytriangle of his chest.

_More, more, I want to see more._

A faint growl interrupted me and I turned to see the origin. Ah, Mr. Connolly had fallen asleep with his head on the bar. I chuckled and heard Mr. Delicious laugh loudly too. "Guess it's ten o'clock then," I said smiling widely.

"Does he do that often?"

"Oh God, every night without fail. We usually just keep checking to make sure he's still breathing and wake him up when we're about ready to close."

"That's funny, really funny," he continued laughing and took another drink of his beer before waggling his newly empty bottle at me, while licking his bottom lip at the same time.

That little action sent Inner-Bella into turmoil. _For God's sake woman, leap over the bar, straddle him and rip his shirt open. I beg you._

I could barely control myself and even contemplated doing just that. It wasn't even an issue that Mr. Delicious would probably have me arrested for sexual assault. I knew I would have an insanity plea at the very least.

"_Well, you see, officer; I can't be held responsible for my actions, it was my inner voice telling me to do it." _Yes. Off to the funny farm for me, I thought as I handed him another beer.

"So Bella, apparently you've not been a New Yorker all your life; where did you live before?" Once again Mr. Delicious was trying to hold a conversation with me. Why?

"England," I answered back smartly, not quite sure what else I could say that would be of any interest to him.

"Very funny, where about in England? Why did you move here?"

Now he was staring at me again and I was struggling to stand up straight. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with me?

"I was born here, but my mother was from a small village in Surrey. My father is American and I moved in with him after she died." I shrugged casually, trying to block out a few other snippets of the past.

"Oh, sorry." He smiled apologetically and fell silent for a few seconds. "So, you're technically a fellow American, then."

"I suppose I am, but I guess I sound a little different to most."

"That's true, but I much prefer listening to your voice-it's definitely sexier." He grinned and winked again. Jesus, what was this man doing to me?

_I am sick and tired of telling you Isabella Swan, LEAP OVER THE BAR, STRADDLE HIM AND RIP HIS SHIRT OPEN!_

I had no idea how to respond to that without sounding like a moron, so I just stood there and smiled, looking like a moron instead.

_Smooth Bella, very smooth_.

"So, when you're not watching over sleeping alcoholics, what do you do with your time?"

"I only work here two nights a week. During the day I'm a nanny for a family over on Central Park West. I look after their kids while they're at work."

"Like it?" He was still looking at me and I thought I saw his eyes look me up and down, but I was probably imagining it; after all, I did converse with my inner-self.

"Yeah, it's good, I suppose. It pays okay; I couldn't live in Manhattan on just my bar wage. Art doesn't pay that well, you know. " I laughed.

"That I can imagine." He was laughing again. "Do you like kids, then?"

_Oh my God, he's asking you to have his babies. I will not tell you again; leap over the bar, straddle him and rip his shirt open._

"Well, I'll just say that working all day with a teenager and a toddler is probably the best contraception a girl can have."

_Oh crap, what on Earth did you just say to him?_

He didn't say anything for a moment, and then smirked. "So, what you're suggesting is that we could put a stop to teen pregnancies by getting schoolgirls to spend time with bratty kids? Nice idea, Bella, I like it."

Then he stood up and Inner Bella immediately began ranting in panic. _Well done, you daft cow, you've scared him off now._

However, he did not leave, but shrugged out of his jacket andhung it on the back of the bar stool.

"I'll be right back. Could I get another beer?" He turned and walked over to the bathroom.

Finally, I got to see what he was wearing on the lower half of his body; he wore a pair of khaki cargo pants and a pair of sneakers. My,oh my, he had a lovely little bum.

_Bella, go into the bathroom and try to take a peek. You might get to see his little friend._

I shook my head vigorously, trying to shake that thought from my mind, and nearly gave myself whiplash in the process. I put another beer on the bar and went to check thatMr. Connolly was still breathing. I laughed quietly as quiet snores rumbled in his chest and I noticed one of the customers from the pool room heading over to the bar. The bar in the pool room only tended to be open on busy nights; today being especially quiet, it was unsurprisingly closed.

"Hey gorgeous, two more beers and your telephone number please." I think the man tried to smile sexily, but he failed and just looked rather constipated.

I ignored his second request and put two beers on the bar and waited for him to pay. Mr. Creep, however, didn't even see the drinks as his gaze was fixed straight at my chest.

_Gross, gross, gross! My eyes aren't that far south, you creep._

"You won't find your money down my top, I'm afraid. I think you'll find that's what your wallet is for." I glared at him and he quickly dropped his gaze, fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. He told me to keep the change and made his way back to the pool room; evidently he was embarrassed.

"Urgh, creep," I muttered angrily to myself as I put the money in the register. I heard a soft laugh and whirled around. Mr. Delicious was back.

_Yay._

"Benefits of working in a bar, I suppose. Plenty of drunk perverts staring at you," I mumbled.

"Oh, I'm sure plenty of men stare at you, regardless of where you work. Some just use beer as an excuse to do it blatantly." He raised his eyebrows and smiled that damn smile again.

"Very smooth, I bet you say that to all the girls." I had never been so thankful for being someone who didn't blush. If I did, I would no doubt be the colour of a fire engine, and that wouldn't have been a very pleasant experience.

"Only when they aren't falling at my feet and hanging off my every word, of course." He laughed and I cringed as I remembered my crazy outburst just a few minutes earlier.

I racked my brain, trying to think of a witty one-liner to come back at him with, but I was stumped. I was one of those people who came up with a brilliant response about twenty minutes too late.

Just then, Art emerged from the office looking stressed. "Sorry Edward, can we take a rain check? I've got a bit of a mess to sort with the orders." He rubbed his forehead. "How long are you in town for?"

"No biggie, Art, we're here for a gig at The Garden on Thursday night. After that, I'm a free man until Monday." I noticed he kept glancing over at me. "I'll definitely be back; things have improved since the last time I was here."

Art was puzzled. "What? I haven't done anything; nothing's changed in... oh... right...yeah." Art laughed and he looked swiftly in my direction. "So, Bella, how's Mr. C. doing? Is he still conscious?"

"Conscious, no - alive, yes. If he snores much louder, we'll get aftershocks outside." Right on cue, a loud snore ripped from the still-sleeping Mr. Connolly.

"Great customers you have here, Art," Mr. Delicious teased his friend, as both men laughed loudly.

"Well, he's harmless and he's a damn good customer. I'll be back out soon I hope. Catch you later." Art paused and threw a meaningful look towards Edward and, before he walked back into his office, winked and nodded in my direction. "You should pop back in on Friday."

"Charming," I muttered to myself. Friday nights were always heaving. Sandrine and I would be running around like headless chickens, while Art lived it up with Mr. Delicious.

"So you live in Manhattan? Where?" I was still at the far end of the bar and was surprised to see Edward had moved stools to sit bang opposite me.

"Um, yeah, it's only about a ten minute walk from here. The rent is astronomical and we can barely afford to eat, but nevermind." I smiled; the city was a great place to live - always something going on somewhere - and easy for someone to exist almost unnoticed.

"Who's we?" He frowned slightly as he looked down at his beer.

"My roommates and me."

"Roommate_s_**," **he said emphasising the 'S'. "As in, more than one?"

"Two actually, Alice and Angela. They're totally crazy, both of them."

"So, you get on well**,** then?" he snickered.

"Oh, aren't we the comedian?" I sneered. "But yes, they're my best friends."

I knew I was lucky; obviously, Alice and I went back years and we'd met Angela on the bus to New York. She'd just qualified as a nurse and wanted to live and work in the city. We'd instantly clicked and decided to rent an apartment together.

"Speaking of friends, how do you know Art? It seemed like you know him well." I found myself staring at him intensely and couldn't bring myself to stop.

"Yeah, I've known him since high school; I grew up in the city and so did he. He's a good guy, but I suppose you know that already." He was staring back now. Unable to hold his gaze, I dropped my eyes down to my hands.

"Yeah, he's probably the most easygoing person I know. Well, apart from him, of course." I inclined my head towards the still-snoring Mr. Connolly and laughed.

The only other two customers in the bar left the pool room and headed out into the street.

"Wow, it's really happening in here tonight," Mr. Delicious said sarcastically as he glanced around the empty bar.

"It's usually like this through the week. I'm surprised Art didn't tell you to come in tomorrow night. We'll be busy Friday – I doubt he'll get much chance to talk to you if you do stop by." I pulled up a stool from under the bar and sat down. It was 10:30pm; I should be ready for leaving in about an hour, only to be up again at six in the morning for work.

Mr. Delicious laughed and actually seemed a little embarrassed; he looked sheepishly at his beer. "Yeah, well, he's the boss."

"Mmmm, I guess he is." I sighed heavily and felt my eyelids start to sag. I saw his eyes look up to mine. "You look beat."

"Yeah I am, I have to be at work every morning for seven, so I'm up at six. That includes tomorrow morning, unfortunately." I stifled a yawn and then smiled back at him. "Tuesdays and Fridays are the worst; I have to double-back."

Suddenly, I had a thought; I wasn't back here until Friday night, was that what Art had been implying when he suggested Edward come back then? I scolded myself internally for being ridiculous, but then again, he did get a little embarrassed when I brought it up. These thoughts brought Inner-Bella to the surface with a bang.

_I know I said I wouldn't say it again, but I'm going to. Leap over the bar, straddle him and rip his shirt open._

A loud smash startled me and I turned to see Mr. Connolly had knocked his half-empty glass of whiskey onto the floor. The noise had not disturbed the man in the slightest and he continued to snore.

"Crap," I muttered and headed round the bar with a dustpan and mop to clean up the mess. "If screaming kids are an alternative to contraception, then this old guy would be a good deterrent for budding alcoholics."

Mr. Delicious burst out laughing and I couldn't help but join in. I busied myself clearing the floor and as usual, I forgot I wasn't alone and began talking to myself, muttering some incoherent crap about glass and drunken idiots. Remembering that the sexiest man in the world - according to Cosmo 2009 -was standing directly opposite me, I cringed in embarrassment. I looked up and he was peering down at me with a serious look on his face.

"Maybe you could be an inspiration for people with mental health problems to go and seek professional help." The serious look vanished and he smiled widely again.

I stood up and glared at him. "Look, usually it's just me and the snorasarus over there, so if I don't talk to myself it can be a pretty quiet night."

"Hey, I didn't mean to offend you – sorry." He didn't look sorry, not in the slightest.

However, I was far too busy fighting away images of him taking his clothes off to be offended. I walked back around the bar, still scowling. "For the record, I don't actually talk to myself, my inner-voice talks to me. So, technically I'm a just a lunatic." I smiled and he burst out laughing.

Art emerged once again from his office, still looking on the wrong side of stressed.

"All sorted?" Edward asked, still chuckling.

"Not by a long shot, but I've had enough for now. Rushed off your feet, Bella?" he asked sarcastically as he scanned the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Look, you might as well take off. I'll wake Mr. Connolly and close up for the night."

_Nooooooohhhh!_ Inner-Bella flipped her lid. _DO NOT LEAVE! LEAP OVER THE BAR, STRADDLE HIM and RIP HIS SHIRT OPEN. I DO NOT CARE THAT YOUR BOSS IS IN THE ROOM. THIS MAY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE._

I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I grabbed my jacket and keys from under the bar. Art was oblivious but Mr. Delicious, however, missed nothing and sarcastically asked, "Inner voices again?"

"Actually, yes, they were trying to tell me what to do."

"What were they saying, exactly?" he asked, curiosity raging on his face.

I let out a little chuckle before saying quietly to him, "Well, they wanted me to jump over the bar, straddle you and rip your shirt open."

I winked at him, laughing at his dumbfounded expression, and shouted "Goodnight, Art!" as I walked through the door.

**A/N - Thank you for those who might be reading again and to anyone new I hope you liked it! I will post as often as I can so hopefully I'll be seeing you soon :D**

**Take care,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thanks to Pretty Flour for prereading and PTB for beta'ing. I have played around with this after they worked their magic so all mistakes are mine. **

**I own nothing. It's all Stephenie Meyer! **

**Chapter 2 - Mia's present - my motherfucking nightmare!**

BPOV

I raced home, practically hyperventilating. I couldn't believe I had actually said what I did to Edward Cullen.

_Yes__, you did say it to him, but you didn't bloody well do it to him, did you?_

Alice, Angela, and I shared a small three bedroom, first floor apartment on East 75th street. It was nothing flashy, but it suited me fine. Down the corridor from the entrance was the bathroom. Next to it was a small kitchen, separated from the lounge area by a glassless window, which we often used as a breakfast bar. All three bedrooms were next to each other and led into the lounge; we had just enough room for a small couch, two beanbags and our TV. I saw my roommates chatting over on the couch.

"Hey, you're home early." Alice peered over the back of the sofa and grinned at me. It was impossible not to grin back; she had such an infectious smile and laugh. All through the years we had been friends, she hadn't changed. Alice had always been a bit wild and very straight-talking. She was shorter than me, with a tiny frame, and had really short black spiky hair with a sweeping fringe.

"Yeah, it was dead. Art let me go because there was only Mr. Connolly, and one of his...erm...old friends still there." I paused mid-conversation; should I have mentioned who the friend was, exactly?

_No, Alice is not a prude like you; she would __have straddled him regardless of where he was. _It would appear Inner-Bella wasn't above possessive behaviour.

I walked around and plopped down on the one of the beanbags to talk to my friends.

"Was Mr. Connolly asleep again?" Angela giggled.

This girl was hilarious. When she was around, there was never a dull moment. Angela could always be relied upon to do something daft; she didn't usually pay attention to what she was doing, and was always falling off chairs, or walking into doors. We often wondered how on earth she managed as a nurse without causing more harm than good. Angela was about the same height as me, really skinny though, with shoulder-length black hair.

"Of course, Ange." I laughed. "I don't know how he does it!"

"Who was the friend?" Alice enquired. "Was he hot?"

Of course, my expression gave her the answer. "Ooh, spill, Swan. How hot?"

Both girls were suddenly very interested and stared at me wide-eyed. _How much should I tell them, exactly? _I decided that I could share everything, except for his actual identity. It would only cause more questions than answers, and Edward seemed like a pretty decent guy; he didn't need me announcing to the world where he liked to hang out when he got a bit of time to himself.

"If I just say I secretly called him 'Mr. Delicious', would that answer your question?" I smirked and waggled my eyebrows. Then I proceeded to tell them what had happened.

After I told them what I'd said when I was leaving the bar, they both burst out laughing. I didn't know if that was a response to _what_ I had said to him, or the fact that _I_ had said it.

"I bet he's there on Friday night. Well, why wouldn't he be after that comment?" Alice said, clapping her hands excitedly.

Even after everything that had happened in England and Seattle, she was constantly trying to get me back out into the world of men and sex, insisting that I might as well have as much of both as I could. Usually, I would brush off her remarks because I really didn't need the stress. On this occasion, however, I would have loved for her to be right, but when he did show on Friday, it would only be to talk to his friend.

_Of course he won't be there_!_ He will be somewhere else_,_ taking his pick of women who WOULD have straddled him and ripped his shirt open!_

"I doubt that, Al. Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to be up at six in the morning. I'm going for a quick shower. See you later, peeps."

~x~

All hopes for sleep were lost. I was still wide awake at three the next morning, thinking of none other than Mr. Delicious. I just couldn't shake him from my thoughts. The hair, the eyes, the nose, the hands, the bum...

These thoughts were also accompanied by warnings; flirting with Edward Cullen was idiotic and didn't really sit well with keeping under the radar, hiding from the world, etc. God knows how long I was lying there, but eventually I drifted off to sleep. When my alarm went off at six, I almost burst into tears, but I dragged myself from my toasty bed and into the bathroom to get ready.

Getting up an hour earlier just to perfect my face and hair was most definitely not me. I savoured every minute in my bed, and I always got up as late as possible. This was an instance, however, that I should have been one of those girls. I muttered in disgust as I took in my reflection; I looked like a corpse, and having gone to bed without drying my hair, it now resembled a punk wig. I brushed my hair back into a ponytail and quickly applied a bit of makeup, hoping I could at least pass for a human and not a zombie. I dressed in my jogging clothes - I always used the journey to and from work to go running. I grabbed my rucksack, which contained my change of clothes for work, and left the apartment.

The family I worked for were fantastic; Mr. and Mrs. Ross lived in a plush brownstone on Central Park West with their two kids, Mia and Benjamin. Mr. Ross was a partner in a highly successful law firm and Mrs. Ross was a math professor over at NYU. Mia, their thirteen-year old daughter, was a handful, to put it mildly. Mr. and Mrs. Ross had only ever planned on having the one child, so they lavished her with gifts and attention. Basically, what Mia wanted, Mia got, and she was spoilt rotten. At first, she had been a complete cow with me and would try to get me into trouble with her parents at every opportunity. I very nearly quit after the first week, but I needed a job, so I stuck at it and she came around soon enough. In fact, now she looked to me as her "funky" older sister and saved all the usual teenage tantrums for her parents.

Benjamin, on the other hand, was adorable. He was just two and had the face of an angel, big blue Bambi eyes with a mop of curly blond hair. This one gave me no trouble.

Mr. and Mrs. Ross worked long hours, but when they were at home, they were very hands-on-parents. When Mrs. Ross had gone back to work after Benjamin had been born, she had no intentions of taking on a live-in nanny. They simply wanted someone to look after Ben and Mia-when she wasn't at school-whilst they were at work. As Mrs. Ross worked term times, she got most of the school holidays to spend at home, so I had the summer holidays more or less to myself. The time off worked beautifully for me; occasionally I would be asked to look after the children while Mrs. Ross ran errands, but that was a rarity.

I entered the house and was instantly met by little Ben hurtling to my side. "Hello, little fella." I picked him up and went to say hello to everyone.

Mr. Ross had already left for work, but I could hear Mrs. Ross upstairs barking at Mia to get out of her room and get her breakfast. A few minutes later, she made her way downstairs, still shouting for Mia.

"Hi, Bella. I'm sorry, but Mia has only just surfaced. I've got to head straight out, could you make sure she gets some breakfast? " she asked as she headed for the door.

"Yeah fine. Come on, buddy, let's go get your sister!" I ran upstairs with Benjamin to see what Mia was doing.

Mia was awake, but hadn't emerged from her covers. I promised to do her hair for school if she got straight up. Bribery did the trick, and she was downstairs in a flash.

After Ben and I had taken Mia to school, I picked up a few groceries for the kids' dinner; I always prepared their meals and usually ate with them. When I was back in the house, I put Ben down for his nap and tidied up a little, as was my routine. I was still preoccupied with Mr. Delicious and found myself drifting off into fantasyland, wondering what it would have been like to kiss him, touch him, and squeeze his lovely little bum...

The day passed quickly, and Ben and I walked to collect Mia from school. On our way home, we passed a billboard, and my stomach did little flips as I saw the advertisement for Zeus' new album, making a mental note to go out and buy a copy. Mia also noticed it and began shrieking and bouncing up and down.

"Guess what, Bella? Daddy got me some tickets to go and see Zeus tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden. Mom's taking me and Abbey. How cool is that? I'm so excited!"

I stifled a laugh and replied with mock enthusiasm, "Lucky you, I wish I was going. Better hide your ticket, Mia or I might steal it!"

Mia squealed with laughter and immediately launched into one of their songs. As we continued on, I let myself daydream about his gorgeous face, his hair, his chest, his bum...

I typically finished around five–five thirty, but tonight Mrs. Ross called to say she would be late and didn't arrive home until just after six. I was just getting ready to head home when she stopped me.

"I wouldn't usually ask more from you during the week, Bella, but I have an emergency meeting tomorrow night with the board, and I won't be home until at least nine. Could you take Mia and Abbey to the concert for me? Paul will be home to watch Ben. I hate to ask, but I have to attend this meeting."

She knew I'd say yes, of course; I was a complete soft touch. I told myself a free concert wouldn't be too bad. After all, I would be able to stare blatantly at Mr. Delicious without him noticing!

_Yay, we get to see Mr. Delicious again._

"No problem, Carole, I'd love to."

Mrs. Ross gave me the details about the concert and then I said goodnight. I finally arrived home just after seven. Only Alice was there as Angela was working a late shift over at Presbyterian Hospital; she was a nurse on the Intensive Care Unit, so her shifts tended to be pretty erratic. Alice worked from home as an online travel agent, which meant great perks for us. We always had a holiday during the summer break; she would get us cheap flights and Angela's brother would let us stay in his swanktastic beachfront house in Miami. This year was no exception, and we were headed out there in July.

"How were the brats?" Alice asked. She didn't have a high tolerance for anyone under the age of eighteen. "I seriously couldn't do that all day long. I'd be climbing the walls!"

"It's not that bad; Mia's at school all day and Ben's a little champ." I went to my room to change out of my running clothes and sat down on the couch with Alice.

"Angela's on a late shift again tomorrow. D'ya fancy going for a few drinks at Florentino's after her shift's finished?" Alice was a party animal through and through, she would happily spend every minute drinking and dancing. When we went out over the weekend, we'd stumble home at some ridiculous hour and she would still want to carry on! I never understood where she found the stamina.

"I'd love to; however, I'm designated babysitter for Mia and her friend. Mr. Ross got her tickets to see Zeus at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. Carole can't take her, so I get the extra ticket!"

"You lucky cow! That group of men are frickin' gorgeous. What I would love to do with any one of them!" Alice began to fantasize out loud.

"Okay Alice, spare me the sordid details, thanks." I laughed nervously, too ashamed to admit my fantasies had been somewhat worse, having actually met one of them in person.

_Ah yes, Mr. D. Now that was a good day._

I spent the rest of the evening on the couch with Alice, chatting about anything and everything. To my dismay, however, she brought up the subject of Mr. Delicious again.

"Seriously, Bella, I honestly think that guy was trying to flirt with you, big time. You aren't the easiest girl in the world to impress, you know. I might stop by Art's tomorrow and see what he has to say!"

_Oh shit, no__, stop her._

"No, please don't; I don't want Art to start teasing me about it, especially if he does come back. Please, can we just drop it and wait and see what happens on Friday?" I was practically hyperventilating, and she eyed me suspiciously.

"Look, Bella, you're my best friend and I love you. I know things haven't been easy, but you need to let yourself go a little. Have fun, and if Mr. Delicious does come back on Friday, go bang his brains out after your shift. No harm, right?" She put her arms round my shoulders and hugged me. "That's one of the reasons you're so uptight: sexual frustration - it's not healthy!"

"Thanks for reminding me about that!" I responded. She did make a valid point.

_Too right, she makes a good point. I'm sure if you abstain from sex much longer, you may actually be the first person to grow back her virginity._

I had been dating a good guy in Seattle before we'd moved here. Since then, however, there had only been a few terrible blind dates, which I was trying very hard to forget. My biggest problem was my inability to let myself just enjoy what life threw at me. I had spent so many years hiding and running away, I had all but forgotten how to let go and just live. Just the thought of putting an ounce of trust into someone other than Alice or Angela terrified me, and let's face it, no man wants a girl to have a full on panic attack just because he wants to go out on a second date. Commitment didn't actually scare me; it was how much the other person expected of me. James Hunter had completely ruined my life; he made me question the intentions of everyone around me, and I didn't think I would ever be able to move on.

I was exhausted after last night, so I went to bed before Angela got home. I was so tired, I didn't even have a chance to fantasize about Mr. Delicious, and I woke up Thursday morning feeling refreshed. I dressed quickly and grabbed a change of clothes for the concert before I set off to work.

The day flew by and Mia's friend Abbey came home with us from school for dinner. Mia insisted I get them both ready, so I helped them with their hair and applied the palest shade of lip-gloss they had. I changed, and we waited for her father to arrive home.

"So, Bella, who's your favourite guy in Zeus?" Mia asked eagerly, "I love Emmett the lead singer, but his brother Edward is just as hot. He plays the guitar, did you know that?"

"Yeah, I like Edward too, Mia," Abbey replied dreamily. "I feel like crying when I think about seeing him on the stage tonight!"

I agreed with them, laughing quietly to myself as I thought about that night in the bar.

Mr. Ross walked through the door about six-thirty and offered to drive us straight to the arena. As we were getting ready to leave, he pulled a white envelope from his pocket and called Mia over to him.

"Guess what, Pumpkin? I've got a surprise for you." He handed Mia the envelope and she tore it open.

"OH MY GOD, DADDY, THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! IT'S THE BEST PRESENT EVER!" Mia was almost hysterical. "ABBEY, DADDY'S GOT US SOME BACKSTAGE PASSES AND WE GET TO MEET THE BAND AFTER THE SHOW!"

Both girls started leaping into the air, screaming at the top of the voices. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach.

_No, no, no. Concert fine – backstage passes not fine. Dear God, he's going to think you've gone all Glenn Close Fatal Attraction on him. You are so fucking screwed!_

I couldn't do anything, though; if I refused to go, then the girls would never forgive me. I just couldn't even begin to think how I was going to cope with the next few hours. I occasionally suffered from mild panic attacks, another thing I had to be thankful to James for. Over the years, I had gotten pretty damn good at hiding them from people; I concentrated intently on breathing steadily and desperately tried to ignore the ecstatic squeals which were erupting from the girls. After just a few minutes, I felt the tightness in my chest begin to subside and my head stop spinning. Mr. Ross was looking rather pleased with himself as we drove to the concert. I considered begging him to switch, volunteer to stay at home with Ben while he took the girls, but didn't fancy trying to explain why I was turning down free tickets to see one of the most popular groups around. I kept my mouth shut in the car, tuning out the constant babbling that was emerging from the backseat, and silently cursed myself for ever having agreed to this in the first place.

I was a nervous wreck as we made our way into the arena. As we had VIP tickets, we were escorted to seats smack bang in the middle of the front row.

_This just keeps getting worse and worse__, _Inner-Bella whimpered_._

While we waited for the group to come out, I sent Alice a text, telling her about the backstage tickets. Her reply was simply, "Lucky Bitch."

I tended to disagree.

When they finally appeared on stage, for a split second I forgot that I was supposed to be terrified and lost all train of thought as I watched him walk across the stage. He was so hot. It was almost too much to bear. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with the cuffs pushed up his arms, his top button open and a thin black tie was knotted loosely around his neck, and he had paired it with black jeans. He carried his guitar in one hand and waved at the crowd with his other. In a brief moment of stupidity, I almost leaped up from my seat to wave back. I managed to pull myself back together, when I remembered just what a hellish situation I was in, and began to panic again.

I was relieved that Edward took up position on the right of the stage, and I was not in his line of sight. As the arena erupted into a chorus of screams and whistles, I looked around to see what kind of crowd they drew. Apart from the teenage girls, who I doubted had any interest in their music, the majority of their fans appeared to be men and women about my age.

Mia and Abbey were almost in tears, screaming that they loved them all repeatedly. I had to smile; I was exactly the same when I was a teenager. I had adored many a boy band, N-Sync in particular and had been completely besotted with a certain Justin Timberlake, even convincing myself that one day I would marry him.

_Here you are again_; _same problem_,_ different guy_._ Oh_,_ and this time_,_ you're almost twenty-five years old_;_ how sad is that?_

I had to admit, they were really good and I was thoroughly enjoying their performance. Their production was simple - no big set or dance numbers. Just the guys singing and playing their instruments. No frills.

I wasn't having the most innocent of thoughts watching him. Mr. Delicious was so immersed in what he was doing, he almost seemed unaware of the audience. After they had finished one track, they paused to talk to the crowd. Edward wiped his face with a towel and ran both hands through his hair, and Inner-Bella was let loose.

_God, just imagine running your hands through his hair while he's kissing you, then running your hands down his shirt and __ripping it open!_

These thoughts continued pretty much throughout their whole performance. Before I knew it, they thanked everyone for coming and made their way off stage. I smiled over at the girls, who were almost bouncing off their seats with excitement. We remained seated as we had been instructed, and after a few minutes' wait, a snooty looking blond woman approached us and escorted us backstage.

"You'll get about five minutes with them, and then they have to leave. Your father must be pretty important to get this arranged for _you_."

Wow, this chick was well and truly lodged up her own arse. Inner-Bella promptly decided to call her Arseface. The girls were prattling on excitedly and getting their cameras ready.

_My god_,_ Bella_,_ you have to run away_!_ You can't do this. If you go in_,_ there shall never be any straddling of Mr. Delicious._

We approached a dressing room down a fluorescent-lit corridor. The walls were painted white and it felt more like a corridor in a psychiatric ward. Quite fitting, I suppose, considering I was headed for a psychotic episode. Arseface held out a finger to stop us, knocked lightly and walked into the dressing room.

"Hey guys, the groupies are here!" she sneered; who the bloody hell did she think she was?

I fought back a childish urge to pull her hair and poke her eyes, and instead continued with the deep breathing. I heard a few chuckles from inside the room and my stomach did flips because one of those chuckles stood out from all the rest.

_He's in there__!__ Oh god_,_ run for your life, run for your life._

Arseface appeared again and beckoned us into the room. "Come on, _girls."_

_Wow_,_ what a bitch!_

I took a deep breath and prepared to walk into the dressing room, when suddenly I was saved. My phone rang and I snatched it open.

"I'm so sorry, I have to take this. Girls, go on ahead," I whispered, and hoped my voice wouldn't carry inside the room. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my attention back to the phone. "Oh my God, Alice, thank you! You're a lifesaver!"

"Why, what's the matter? I was only calling for an update – have you met them yet?" she demanded from the other end of the phone.

"The girls are in there with them now and I'm standing talking to you outside – so that would be a no!"

"What?" she yelled down the phone. "Then hang up your phone and get your ass in there. Angela and I are waiting for the full play-by-play, Bella." She hung up the phone immediately, but I remained outside.

I put my phone back in my pocket and leaned against the wall beside the door. I could hear the girls babbling away at the speed of light, asking for autographs and photos with the guys. As the minutes ticked by, I began to relax; it seemed I had managed to avoid a scene of complete humiliation.

I continued listening to the girls inside as they chatted with what sounded like the lead singer, Emmett, Edward's brother, when he asked, "So, it's Mia, right? Surely, you're not here alone. Where are your parents?"

"Oh no, we're here with my brother's nanny; she had to take a call, but she's waiting outside, "Mia piped up excitedly. "She's a huge fan though, she told me so yesterday!"

"Well, tell her to come in and say hi!"

_Oh_,_ fuck._

Arseface poked that snooty looking face around the door and motioned at me to come in.

I was literally about to combust with shame, but I took another deep breath and stepped inside. As I walked in, I scanned the room quickly and was greeted by three different "Hi's" and one noticeable smirk.

"Hi," I mumbled and looked everywhere but back at the one set of eyes I could feel watching me.

Luckily, Mia and Abbey launched into another tirade of questions and I hung back near the door without saying another word. After what seemed like an age, Arseface interrupted and informed us it was time to leave. I opened the door for the girls and they said goodbye to each of the guys.

Just as we were walking through the door I heard, "Goodnight, Bella."

I glanced back toward him and saw he was still sitting on one of the counters, smiling straight at me. At the same time, the rest of the group looked back at him in confusion, and the girls were gawking at me in astonishment.

"Yeah, goodnight," I replied quickly, and ushered the girls out of the room.

While we headed back to the exit, the girls were still wide-eyed and even Arseface kept shooting me sideways glances as she escorted us out. As soon as we were alone, I was set upon by two crazed teenage girls.

"Oh my God, Bella, how did he know your name? Do you know him? He was totally staring at you all the time you were in the room. Is he your boyfriend? Oh my god, he is, isn't he?"

I didn't know how to answer, so I brushed it off and insisted that one of the girls had mentioned my name.

"I don't think we said your name," Mia started to object, but Abbey wanted to look through the photos and she was soon distracted.

Mr. Ross dropped me off at home a little after eleven, and I trudged into my apartment. Angela and Alice had been joined by one of our neighbours, Jasper. He and Alice had a very casual relationship – strictly friends with benefits. They got together every so often, but neither wanted anything more than that – or so they tried to tell us. Angela and I had our doubts; we couldn't speak for Jasper, but we did know Alice. She had this ice-queen demeanour and always acted aloof around guys, but Jasper was different. She was enthralled with him whenever he was around and – it appeared to me at least – the feeling was mutual.

"Hey there, British chippy. I heard you got to meet Zeus tonight?" Jazz peeped up as soon as I walked through the door.

He was a ruggedly handsome guy; he had been in the Navy for a few years and during that time he had beefed up considerably. He was a fireman in lower Manhattan and had been one of the first on the scene during 9/11. At thirty-three, he was seven years older than Alice, but it took someone with a little bit of "something" to put up with her personality.

"Yeah. Lucky me, I guess." I really didn't want to do this now; I wanted to go to my room and die of shame.

During the brief moment of "almost flirting" that had occurred on Tuesday night, I could fantasize quite contently about Edward without feeling I'd embarrassed myself too much. Now, however, that was certainly not the case. I couldn't even think about him without cringing, and I had been looking forward to some pretty explicit fantasies tonight after seeing him perform.

_Oh well, we can always revert back to Mr. Clooney for the time being. He is always welcome in any sexy thoughts._

"So, what happened?" Angela asked, with a wicked glint in her eye,

"Oh, you know, I grabbed the first one I saw and started going at it right there in the dressing room!" I rolled my eyes at her. "What the bloody hell do you think happened,

Angela? We said 'Hello,' 'Goodbye,' and the girls had some pictures taken with them."

"Were they just as sexy in person?" Alice asked, smiling.

"It's hard to believe, but yes. In fact they were far sexier!" I feigned a yawn and bent down to give each of them a quick hug. "I'm off to bed, working a double again tomorrow. Jasper, please take Alice back to your place; I don't want to be kept awake listening to you two, thank you very much!"

Jasper flushed slightly and laughed.

"Off to fantasize about Zeus, are you Bella?" Alice teased, completely ignoring my snide comment.

"Absolutely!" I winked and went to my room. God, if only she knew!

**A/N This will probably be the last one for today...but I have a few days off work so I aim to post as often as I possibly can :D**

**TTFN**

**Katy**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N This chapter has been pre-read by Prettyflour & beta'd by PTB. Any mistakes you see, are all mine! **

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.**

**Chapter 3 - Verbal Diarrhoea**

**BPOV**

It was Friday, the best day of the week for most people, including me. This week, however, I would be exhausted. After I finished at the Ross', I would probably get an hour at home before I had to be at Art's. As a general rule, I would only work the rush on a Friday night—or in translation—as soon as everyone had moved onto the all-night clubs and bars, I could go home. Tonight, though, I was covering for one of my workmates and would be there until close, which meant I was staying away from anything sleep-related until well after two.

As usual, the day flew by, but once again, Mrs. Ross was going to be late, so I had to wait for her husband. After he had finally arrived home, it was almost six thirty; my shift at Art's started at seven so I made my way straight there. I had no energy to jog; instead I had a brisk walk through the park and over to the bar. There were plenty of people about with that "Friday feeling" and I wished I was one of them. I had been battling with a mixture of emotions since the concert; I was really hoping to see Edward again, yet on the other hand, I couldn't even begin to think about facing him after the shambolic backstage incident. I realised, after I caught several people glancing at me with worried expressions, that I had in fact been talking to myself as I walked. I needed to get a grip and at least act normal for the next few hours.

"Hi, Bella, thanks for covering tonight." Sandrine grinned at me as I walked inside; she would typically work until close on a Friday night, but in a typical Bella moment, I had agreed to cover for her so she could swan off and meet up with her husband.

"It's not a problem. I'll take all the extra cash I can get," I lied and walked into the office to say hi to Art, who was grimacing at some paperwork on his desk.

"Hey, Bella, you're here until close, right? I'll cover the pool bar, so you and Sandy work the main one, yeah?" Art preferred to work the bar upstairs. More often than not, it was just men up there, and on one occasion, there had been a spot of trouble when some drunken imbeciles had gotten too frisky with one of the female bartenders.

"Whatever works for you, Art. I'm just going to change."

As was customary, the first hour was pretty quiet; there were a few regulars in, one being Mr. Connolly, of course. Soon enough though, things started to pick up and the place was quickly heaving. At around eight-thirty, I finally admitted defeat. Mr. Delicious wasn't coming.

_Of __course __he __isn't__. __Af__ter __last __night __he __probably __fled __the __city. __You __should __have __listened __to __me __on __Tuesday; __of __course __he __still __wouldn't __have __come __here __tonight_, _but __at __least __you'd __be __feeling __sexually __satisfied. __I __bet __he __would __have __been __magnificent__. _

Inner-Bella did make a good point.

I was just making the most of a spare minute when Alice texted me.

**Is he there yet? A x**

_**No – told u he wouldn't show B x**_

**Oh ****well ****fuck ****him ****A****x**

_I wish..._

I continued serving, serving, serving, and wiping down tables for the next hour or so. I was just about to start collecting some empties when, from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of someone sitting right at the end of the bar. I nearly fell through the floor when I realised who it was.

_Ooh, Mr. Delicious is here after all._

I walked over to serve him and he smiled at me. Edward actually looked pleased to see me. Mmm, this was interesting.

"Hey, Crazy Lady, how did you enjoy the concert last night?" No, he wasn't smiling, he was smirking. Great, he _did_ think I was stalking him.

"Mmmm, let me think. After spending ten hours with a two year old, I then got to spend an extra four hours babysitting two hysterical teenage girls. Seriously though, you guys were good—I really enjoyed it." I paused before trying to justify the stalking episode. "I wasn't even supposed to be going. Mia's mother got stuck in a meeting and talked me into going with the girls instead. It was very embarrassing. Do you want a beer?"

"Yeah thanks. I was surprised to see you, I have to say." He smiled and paid for his drink. "Why were you embarrassed?"

"Oh come on, do you not remember the last thing I said to you on Tuesday?"

"Right, the inner voices. How could I forget that?" He laughed, staring straight at me. "So what are they telling you to do now?"

I rolled my eyes. "Actually, they're pretty quiet right now."

"That's a shame. I wore a shirt, you know, just in case." He glanced down toward his shirt, and then he winked and laughed again.

_Oh, __oh, __oh. __He __wants __you __to __rip __his __shirt __open_. _Do __it!_

I had no response to that. I simply shook my head and served another customer. It suddenly occurred to me that Edward was actually here to see Art.

"Sorry, I should have mentioned Art's working in the Pool Room tonight." I inclined my head in the direction of the upstairs bar.

"Thanks, I'll probably just hang here for a while though. I prefer the view," he replied nonchalantly.

_RIP IT OPEN NOW!_

I looked at him in bewilderment and he laughed, pointing to the flat screen above the bar, which was set to a sports channel.

_Ðamn it._

Despite my best efforts, I didn't get much chance to speak to him–the bar was busy and I didn't get a spare minute for a long time. I was able to glance at him every so often, and a few times I caught him looking at me. I felt that knot of excitement in my stomach, and although I tried to talk myself down from this idiotic trance, I felt as high as a kite. Unfortunately, the excitement in my stomach soon became a ball of dread. After I shot another ogling glance toward him, I noticed there were people sitting beside him at the bar, talking to him, not just two people–two girls. And not just any two girls–my two girls.

_Uh-oh _,_now __you're __in __trouble_! _Angela __is __the definition __of __verbal __diarrhoea__._

"Oh bollocks," I muttered to myself. What were they talking about? I was trying to get to their end of the bar so I could listen, but I didn't get the chance. After a nerve-wracking ten minutes, I headed toward them, trying to appear as if I was just serving that end.

"Hey, Bella, oh my God look, it's Edward Cullen from Zeus. Did you know he's friends with Art?" Angela was totally starstruck. Edward looked a little uncomfortable when she continued to stare at him open-mouthed, even though she'd finished talking.

"She's drunk, ignore her. We always do," I told him inbetween customers, trying my absolute hardest to act casual and not like I was turning to jelly on the inside. I had just served another customer when I heard Alice shouting.

"So? Is he here yet?" she demanded, and before I had chance to reply, I heard Edward's curious response.

"Who's _he_?" I could almost hear a jealous undertone his voice, and his eyes flickered to my face and then to Alice.

_He's jealous, he's jealous, he's jealous._

Immediately, Angela started babbling uncontrollably. "Oh, this is such a funny story. So this guy comes in–a friend of Art's, I think Bella said–and he was a total hottie. So shit-hot, in fact, that she was fighting the urge to jump the bar and mount him."

I cringed and wished the ground would open up and swallow me. All the while, Inner-Bella was bellowing at me.

_Stop her talking, you idiot._

I was still serving and couldn't interrupt, but I could hear every word as clear as a whistle.

"She even named him Mr. Delicious, because she fancied him that much." Angela wasn't even pausing to breathe, but at the mention of his new name, Edward choked on his beer.

"Mr. Delicious, eh? Lucky bastard." He could barely contain his laughter, and Angela just kept babbling on, and on, and on.

Sandrine told me to take my break then, as I was on until close. The bar had quietened down so I had no reason to refuse. I rubbed my temples with my fingers as I walked to the end of the counter.

"You got a break?" Alice asked when she saw me. I just nodded; I was so humiliated, I couldn't speak. "Grab us a beer before you sit down, would you?"

I bent and pulled out three beers and held one of them towards Edward, who smiled and nodded. Alice was eyeing me very studiously, flicking her eyes between Edward and me deliberately. Angela was oblivious to it all; she was prattling on about how much she loved rock music, and Edward was just nodding along, but looking right at me.

After a few minutes of silence, Alice's mouth began to open wide and her eyes were bulging in astonishment. She mouthed silently, "Is that Mr. Delicious?" I just nodded my head once in acknowledgement. She flung her hands to her mouth in shock.

The silence was becoming uncomfortable. Alice was still in shock, and Angela had clearly run out of nonsense to waffle on about. Edward's gaze kept flashing to my face and he looked as though he wanted to speak. Then, after five long minutes, he stood to leave.

"I'll head off and see Art then, I guess. I'll see you guys later." He cast one more look at me and walked upstairs.

Once he had gone, I groaned loudly and put my face in my hands, only to be confronted by Alice immediately.

"Oh my God, Bella, why didn't you tell us that Mr. Delicious was Edward fucking Cullen? Oh my God, that is unbelievable. You picked the perfect name for him though. Goddamn he's hot."

Angela was mortified as she realised what she had said to him. "Oh fuck, Bella, I'm so sorry. God, I have such a huge cakehole, you should have told us everything. I'm really sorry. I feel like a complete dipshit."

"Oh well, I guess I've scared him off for good this time, what with turning up in his dressing room last night as well." I noticed that bar had started filling again. "Look, I've got to get back to work. You guys go have fun. Have a few drinks for me and we'll talk when I get back or something." I gave them each a quick hug and went back behind the bar. Reluctantly, the girls nodded and once they had finished their beers, they left.

The next few hours were manic, but I couldn't get the embarrassment to fade one iota. A little after eleven thirty, the majority of the customers had moved on to the clubs in the area and I told Sandrine to go. I walked around the bar collecting empties and wiping down tables, serving the few remaining customers as and when they needed. I tidied all the liquor bottles on the back of the bar and stocked and emptied the dishwasher. Mr. Delicious had either left already or was still talking to Art in the pool room.

_Well __can __you __blame __him __if __he __has __done __a __runner? __I __wish __I __could._

EPOV

The past few days had certainly been interesting. I hadn't been able to get Bella out of my head all week. When I walked into Art's and heard her talking to herself, I hadn't been able to resist a smart-ass comment, but the moment she spun round and started ranting I was floored. Bella was drop-dead gorgeous. She had long, straight, dark browm hair and big brown eyes. She was very slim, but somehow still had lovely curves. Her accent had been the final straw, and by Wednesday I knew I had it bad when I couldn't concentrate in rehearsals. Of course, my band mates noticed my distraction and demanded to know what my problem was.

"Jeez, Edward, how many times you going to miss that? What the hell's with you, man?" my brother Emmett growled at me after I missed my cue for the fourth time.

Emmett was renowned for being a little offhand when he was in the zone, and I could totally see why some people found him a little intimidating - he was really well built and his expression was always sultry. Women found him hot and blatantly flirted with him. Their boyfriends were scared he'd sock them one, so they did nothing. As a rule, we got on okay; however, he had a tendency to be a bit overbearing, especially before a gig, so on occasions such as this, I liked him a lot less.

As we were growing up, he had always ragged me around, copying the wrestling moves we watched Hulk Hogan perform. I had burst my lip and bloodied my nose more times than I cared to remember, and it drove our parents crazy. As we had grown older, we had enjoyed playing about with music and formed a band, with Emmett on lead vocals and me playing guitar. Seth was my best friend at school and he soon joined the party as our drummer. We played a few concerts here and there at school dances and pep rallies. Of course, the girls loved it and they offered themselves on a plate – high school was just one big sex-ed lesson for us. Emmett graduated high school and his roommate at college, Garrett, played bass guitar too. Cue fourth member. The biggest challenge we had was coming up with a name we liked. We were doing an impromptu performance at a party we had been invited to and one of girls watching us had asked if we were in anyway related to Zeus. We had found it quite amusing and it had stuck.

When we were first forming the band, both Emmett and I had struck a compromise with our parents. We would both attend college while trying to make a success of the band and if anything presented itself, we could leave. Seth and I graduated and had already enrolled at Ithaca when we got the best call of our lives. Unbeknownst to all of us, my parents had forwarded an old demo we had made on to a small record label in Los Angeles. They contacted us and asked if we could fly out to meet them. A few weeks later, we had signed a contract and that was that. Our parents moved out with us to LA and we never looked back.

Emmett was still glowering at me. I shrugged and tried to ignore him, but he didn't let up. "I'm serious, bro, you look stoned. I thought you went to see Art?"

"I did and I 'm not stoned, I wasn't even drunk. I'm just jetlagged." I tried to protest, but no one believed me.

"That's bullshit, man; you look like you were up half the night. If it wasn't drinks or drugs, then what was her name?" Seth sniggered. This guy didn't have a serious bone in his body – high school with him had been a blast. He was tall and lanky with dark hair. His tanned skin was a real draw for the girls and he made the most of it.

"Jeez, man, already? We only landed yesterday. I didn't think Art's was that kind of place," Emmett grumbled at me.

I almost continued with their assumption and created a make believe girl. I mean, they'd think I was a complete idiot if they knew I'd been kept awake all night by a girl I'd barely even held a conversation with.

"Fine, yeah, there was a girl, she's a bartender at Art's and she's sexy as hell. Oh yeah and she's English–her voice literally drove me nuts." I sighed. "Perfection."

"So, Eddie boy, did you then proceed to turn on the infamous charm in order to nail her?" Seth goaded me, trying his hand at a very bad English accent and then doubled-over laughing.

"Shut the hell up, Seth. Come on, that's not what I'm all about, you know that." I sighed and then smiled, "Honestly, I tried to turn it on, but she didn't even seem the slightest bit interested. Right at the end of the night, though, she actually said she was being told by her inner-voice to leap the bar, straddle me and rip my shirt open." As I said this, I laughed at the expressions on their faces.

"Nice – so did she? You know, straddle you?" Seth asked eagerly.

"No, she winked and left. I almost choked on my beer and I couldn't stop thinking about it all night."

Emmett laughed. "I like her already. She's the first girl in years to leave you hanging."

Garrett was trying to control his laughter before turning to me. "So are you going back there to try again?" he asked, still chuckling.

"Definitely, she's working Friday night. Seriously, guys, she's too gorgeous to forget about."

"I think I'd quite like to meet her. She must be something to get you like this." Garrett carried on chuckling. He was a really good guy; he would laugh and rib any one of us when it was appropriate. Unlike Seth, however, he knew the line and never crossed it. If you ever needed to chat, he was there no questions asked. As a group we were lucky; we all got along, and even if we had arguments, we could sit down like men, sort them out and move on.

"Right, enough chat, let's get back to it. Edward, focus," Emmett insisted and we got back to rehearsals. The rest of practice was uneventful. I had managed to get my head in the game and we finished up a few hours later.

The night of the concert had also turned out interesting. Just as we were preparing to go on stage, our manager's assistant, Lauren, had stopped by to tell us we would be having a meet and greet with a few fans after the show.

We had grumbled a little at first, but we agreed to be friendly. Lauren was giving me the eye as she talked. She had made it clear on several occasions that she was interested. I, on the other hand, was not. She was a good-looking woman, but everything about her was superficial. A few of my exes had been exactly the same and those relationships had ended badly. I had no intention of going down that road again.

"Look, do me a favour, Edward. If the bartender chick shuns you again, would you please just give Lauren one and get it over with? I don't want to see her throwing herself at you all the time. It's embarrassing for us when you constantly reject her," Seth groaned.

The concert itself was exhilarating as usual. The stadium was full and the atmosphere was electric. As we are more of a rock group, the majority of our fans were twenty-somethings of both sexes. There were, however, a large number of teenage girls who were also fans. They tended to be fans more of the members of the band rather than of our music, but regardless of whom they were, every time we performed anywhere, I was humbled by the sheer volume of people who had actually paid to watch us play. It was always very overwhelming at the end of the concert when we could see just how much the audience had enjoyed the show.

After we had finished, we made our way back to the dressing room to unwind a little. I was the last there and found Seth hogging one of the couches and the other two on the chairs. I walked over and sat on the counter, leaning back against the mirror and closing my eyes. A few minutes later I could hear Lauren's heels clicking down the corridor. Emmett heard too and he stood up telling us to follow suit.

"Come on, guys, it's the meet and greet, be nice," he warned as Lauren entered the room.

We were perfectly polite and friendly with the two young girls. We posed for photos and signed their ticket stubs. I made my way back to the counter and sat down again.

Emmett was still talking away to them. "Surely you're not here alone? Are you with your parents?"

The girl had babbled on about a babysitter waiting outside who was a huge fan and Emmett told Lauren to go and bring her inside. I automatically looked to the door to see who she had brought back in with her and I nearly burst out laughing. There stood Bella, looking seriously pissed, but still absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't take my eyes from her face.

Of course, as soon as she had stepped in the room, all of the other guys had immediately noticed just how attractive she was and greeted her very enthusiastically, with "Hi there's." I said nothing. I was speechless. I just sat there with a huge grin on my face. Only once did she briefly look in my direction; her eyes quickly flashed to my face and then snapped back to look at the girls.

Lauren noticed me staring and quickly tried to wrap the little meeting up; the other guys said goodbye and the girls turned to leave. Unable to help myself, I called out, "Goodnight, Bella."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the guys looked at me in confusion. No one had asked her name and the two teenagers hadn't told us either. Bella mumbled, "Goodnight," and left the room with a rather annoyed looking Lauren. As soon as they had gone the others started at me.

"Who the hell was that?" Seth asked. "Wow, she's fucking hot. How do you know her?"

"Didn't you hear her voice, Seth? That's her, isn't it? The English chick," Emmett said knowingly.

"What? That's Crazy Lady? Fuck, Edward, you pick all the best ones." Seth was pissed. His catchphrase for life was too many women not enough time. He was quickly making his way through as many women in as many different countries as was physically possible.

I said nothing. I simply nodded my head and sighed; Friday night just couldn't come quickly enough. Of course, the rest of the night and throughout Friday I had been thinking about her. I never went for girls like her, girls with regular jobs. All of my previous exes had been models, dancers, and my most recent was a daytime television actress. I hadn't only dated these types of girls because I was an ego-maniac, desperate to have the best girls on my arm. It had just seemed easier. There were no questions about their intentions – they had their own money, their own careers and didn't need me for anything, right?

Wrong.

My ego may not have been an issue in the relationships I chose, but their egos had been a major part in why they failed. I had been part of a new cool band and we had thousands of adoring fans. Of course I wasn't the hot commodity that Emmett, our lead singer, had been. I was, after all, only one of the guitarists. Nonetheless, being on the arm of Edward Cullen boosted their image and reputation. With the other girls, this hadn't bothered me; I was having fun and hadn't been looking for longevity in any of the relationships. However, one of the girls I had liked more than the others and had wanted things to work out long-term.

This girl was Tanya. She was an actress and my most recent ex. Her acting skills had proved to be something in which she'd excelled both in her professional and private lives. We had met at an awards ceremony after she had presented us with an award. She was a new actress on a popular soap opera and was a very attractive woman – slender, blond hair and blue eyes. At first she was the perfect girlfriend, sweet and chilled out about where we went and what we did. As it was going so well, we had tried to keep things a secret. However, after a few months, paparazzi began showing up when we were out on dates, and unnamed sources started revealing private parts of our relationship to magazines and showbiz news channels. Of course, I had assumed that the source was just someone Tanya had confided in who had betrayed her trust, but I was wrong about that too.

After about six months together, she was a completely different person from the one I'd first met. Tanya was receiving offers for movies, larger roles in other series and invitations to the best charity galas, and she revelled in the attention. Of course any parties or events she was invited to, she had insisted I go with her, and we would pose together for the cameras on the red carpet. At the parties she was the sweet girl who showered me with affection and gushed about how wonderful our relationship was, but as soon as we left, or whenever we were alone, she was a different person – cold, selfish and rude to my friends and family. Soon, she had begun to cancel our plans because of shooting schedules and interviews. The only time we spent together was in the public eye, and it was only after a few home truths from my youngest sister that I actually saw this for myself. When I had ended the relationship Tanya went ballistic, screaming about what this would do to her career, and in one final desperate act, she had revealed all the intimate details about our relationship to a magazine for a substantial amount of money. I also discovered that she had been the source all those months ago too. I was nothing more than a rung on the career ladder she was climbing.

I am pleased to say that after a few months, stories began to emerge about the real side to Tanya and a video of one of her tantrums made it onto the internet. The offers began to run dry and she had to beg for her old job back.

Suffice to say, I had sworn well away from all things female since then.

Not wanting to appear too eager and pathetic, I had waited until after eight on Friday night before I left for the bar. It was certainly livelier tonight and the place was full. I saw Bella immediately and made my way to the end of the bar she appeared to be working. I found an empty chair right at the end of the bar and sat down, just watching for a few minutes, studying her.

When she finally noticed me, she smiled. Unfortunately, the bar was too busy for me to get much chance to talk to her for a while. When two girls sat beside me at the bar they recognised me at once, and I made polite conversation with them. I caught sight of Bella watching us and she had a look in her eye – jealousy perhaps? This assumption was wrong. I soon discovered these girls were her roommates and one was extremely drunk.

When Bella had finally been able to make her way close enough to talk to her friends, the not-so-drunk one asked, "Is he here yet?"

Bella's face had fallen and before I could think about what I was doing I asked, "Who's he?"

With that, the drunken friend immediately launched into a story about a super hot guy Bella had met at work on Tuesday night. This "super fit guy" had her wanting to leap the bar and mount him. I very nearly corrected her with, "It was straddle actually." I choked back a laugh when she also revealed I had a new nickname. Mr. Delicious and had been unable to stop myself from replying, "Mr. Delicious, eh? Lucky bastard."

I glanced at Bella and she looked horrified. I kept my eyes on her but she never looked in my direction. A few minutes later, she was told to take a break and came to sit with her friends. She grabbed them a few beers on her way down the bar and held one out to me expectantly, so I smiled at her and nodded.

After she sat down, no one spoke and Bella looked extremely uncomfortable. I never dropped my gaze from her face. From the corner of my eye I could see the not-so-drunk friend glancing between Bella and me and then comprehension registered on her face. Uh-oh, I thought to myself, busted.

I was dying to ask her about it, but she was clearly not going to speak to me in front of her friends, so I reluctantly excused myself. I looked at her in frustration before making my way upstairs. The pool room was pretty quiet in comparison to the rest of the bar and my entrance didn't go unnoticed. Luckily, the people up here were no more interested in me than I was in them, so after a few nudges and stares they forgot all about me. I walked and sat at the bar with a sigh.

"Hey, Edward," Art greeted me and then looked at me. "You know, Bella's working the other bar tonight, mate."

"Yeah I know. I just came from there. It's pretty busy and her friends are with her." I couldn't hide my frustration and obvious disappointment.

"Alice and Angela? They're never too far away from her – great set of girls though, the three of them."

Enjoying a quiet moment, Art leaned against the bar opposite me. Even though we were the same age, this job had taken its toll and he had aged considerably in the past year or so. Still, he was a handsome guy and knew how to play this if he needed to. His hair was the equivalent to puppy dog eyes. It was baby-blond and curly and the women went mad for it. As a teenager, he had been very baby-faced and to try to compensate for that, Art spent hours and hours beefing himself up. It had worked and he was a big guy now.

"Good luck with Bella, Edward. Trust me, she's not a regular type of girl. Doesn't impress easily." He grabbed me a beer and set it on the bar.

"Yeah, I've gathered that," I replied with a lacklustre smile.

Art laughed at my expression. "I take it your charms have failed you, then?"

"Jury's still out and I can't work it out for myself. I mean, I get the impression she thinks I'm an asshole, but then her friends told me something inadvertently and that makes me think otherwise."

The woman was an enigma, that was for sure, but that was what I liked about her. She wasn't predictable and in no way did she seem to give a damn who I was – and that was a refreshing change.

Art and I had continued talking; the subject didn't return to Bella and for that I was thankful. I was starting to confuse myself, dissecting her reactions and expressions. After a while, Art shouted he was closing the bar and was headed downstairs with the cash from the register when he turned back to me.

"Look, it'll be pretty quiet downstairs now and she's here on her own until close."

That was all the invitation I needed and I followed as soon as I had finished my beer.

BPOV

I couldn't help but laugh when I noticed Mr. Connolly had fallen asleep again at the bar. I was quickly running out of jobs to do and there were not enough customers to distract my train of thought. Then I heard Art in the office, so I popped my head around the door.

"Hey, Bella, Sandrine left already, huh?" Art asked from behind his desk.

"Yeah, about twenty minutes ago. It's pretty quiet so I've managed to clean up everywhere."

"Okay, well I've closed the bar upstairs. There's a couple of guys still playing pool, but they know to come down here if they want a drink. I'm just going to cash up and finish off a few things in here. If you need me, just give me a shout." Art winked at me and began working.

_Oh __balls__, __Bella__. __Mr_. _Delicious __has __already __left_ _then. __What __a __screw __up_, _eh? __I __told __you __what __you __should __have __done __over __and __over __again, __you __should __ha-_

My thoughts were interrupted.

"Any chance of another beer, please?" Edward was back. He sat at the bar and smiled at me again.

"Yeah sure, I assumed you'd left when Art came back," I said casually as I put the beer on the bar.

"No, just hiding away until things quieted down. Where are your friends?" He was staring at me again.

"Off wreaking havoc somewhere, no doubt. Sorry about Angela, she was drunk, and shooting her mouth off like a machine gun is her thing."

Edward smirked and took a drink of his beer. "Yeah, I gathered; interesting things she had to say, though."

"Look, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to freak you out or offend you. I just didn't want to tell them who you were exactly, so I called you Mr...Well I'm sure you remember. Look, if I ever thought either of them would have been sitting in a bar drinking with you, then I would not have said a word. Angela – verbal diarrhoea – right?" I closed my eyes as the humiliation washed over me like a tsunami.

"I wasn't offended, not at all. Best name I've ever been given, in fact. You already know I liked the straddling comment, so please don't worry. No big deal, I promise." He smiled and took another drink of his beer. "I do have one question. Why did you hang around outside the dressing room last night, rather than come inside?"

"Seriously, why do you think? I bet you thought I was a psycho following you around, showing up at your concerts." I laughed, trying to hide the embarrassment, humiliation, shame...I could go on.

Edward looked at me and laughed quietly, shaking his head. "Well, I'm glad Emmett told Lauren to come get you. I was already looking forward to seeing you tonight, so yesterday was my little preview."

_RIGHT __NOW_, _YOU __LISTEN __TO __ME_, _WOMAN. __HE __HAS __NOT __RUN __FOR __HIS __LIFE__. __HE __HAS __FLIRTED __WITH __YOU __AND __ADMITTED __HE __WAS __LOOKING __FORWARD __TO __SEEING __YOU __AGAIN. __GET __YOUR __ARSE __OVER __THE __BAR, __STRADDLE __HIM __AND __RIP __HIS __SHIRT __OPEN._

I couldn't help but smile as the words thundered in my head, and of course Edward noticed.

"Inner voices? Dare I ask?" He chuckled.

"Oh, I think you already know." I smiled and raised my eyebrows.

I excused myself to serve a customer and I was sure I saw him blush just a little. I had to keep my back turned while I composed myself. I'd done it again; I had said something so suggestive it almost made me cringe. I didn't say things like that to guys. At least on Tuesday I had blurted it out whilst racing out of the door. Here I would have to serve him and talk to him and...

_Straddle him?_

After I had finished serving, I looked at Mr. Connolly. He was fast asleep and had been for some time. I decided he should go home so I went to wake him up.

"Mr. Connolly, Mr. Connolly, it's getting pretty late now. I think it's best if you go home." I shook him gently by the shoulders. The old man sat up with a napkin stuck to the side of his face.

"Yes, I think I'll head off. Goodnight, Bella, and say the same to Art for me, would you?" He smiled bashfully, as he pulled the napkin off his face and walked out of the bar.

The bar was almost empty now. A few people were dotted about on the tables and of course there was Mr. Delicious who now had his eyes closed and was rubbing his forehead with his hand. The embarrassment of my attempt at flirting rose again, and reluctantly, I went to stand near him.

"You aren't going to pass out on me too, are you?" I laughed as his eyes snapped open, almost as if he hadn't realised I was there.

He smiled before answering my question. "No, No, don't worry about me. I'm good to go all night."

I raised my eyebrows at him and snorted.

_STRADDLE HIM RIGHT NOW. We can go all night too, Mr. Delicious._

For a fleeting second his face furrowed in confusion and then he realised, "Oh shit, I just heard how that sounded. I didn't mean I could go all night like that. Not that I can't, of course. Shit, I'm making it worse. Let me try again. I meant that I will not be falling asleep at the bar just yet."

I laughed and decided that as I had nothing else to do for the time being, I would try to strike up a conversation.

_Be __original_._ Don't __ask __predictable, __boring __questions._

"So, Edward, where do you live? When you're not flying all over the world."

_Wow, __Bella_, _really __original._

"New York born and raised. My family moved to Los Angeles after we were signed about eight years ago. I'd love to spend more time here. I have an apartment over on 5th," Edward sighed as he spoke.

"Ooh, very flashy."

He looked at me and laughed. "Of course, I've got an image to uphold. I couldn't be seen living in some squalid apartment over on ...?" he teased, still looking at me and clearly waiting for me to tell him my address.

_Now __that __was __smooth_. _Tell __him __where __you __live__. __Don__'__t __forget __your __apartment __number __too_, _and __directions __to __your __bedroom__–__just __in __case__._

"Corner of East 75th and 2nd," I replied smiling. "So, what's it like to live in LA?" I was genuinely curious; it was somewhere I had always wanted to visit.

"You know, full of beautiful people–you'd fit right in," Edward replied, almost laughing. "Seriously, the weather's great, there's loads to do, and my family live there. It just makes more sense to stay out there more. My parents have this incredible place that's right on the beach. Still, it's not home like it is here," he sighed.

"Sounds amazing."

We passed an hour or so talking about England. I evaded some questions but tried to tell him the things I loved about the place where I had spent most of my life. It was hard though; all those memories had been overshadowed by the most recent events in my life.

_The ones we never talk about._

At about half-past one, the last customers in the bar left and my shift was over. I was tired, exhausted as a matter of fact, but I wanted to stay and talk to him, stare at him.

_And straddle him, kiss him, lick him._

I wiped everywhere down one last time and put up all the chairs onto the tables, ready for the cleaning crew. I left the bar stool. I didn't want him to think I was asking him to leave.

"I'll just go grab Art." I walked into the office to find him catching some Z's in his chair. "Jeez, does everyone around here have narcolepsy or what?"

A sexy laugh right next to my ear made me whirl around. Edward stood beside me laughing at his friend. "Good luck waking him up. Why don't you sit and have a drink with me?"

"Sounds nice, but I'm exhausted. I've been up since six this morning. If I don't get home, I'll fall asleep at the bar." I smiled apologetically.

_Why are you refusing? Let the man buy you a drink. If we get him drunk we can take advantage._

"Wow, long day. I suppose you had better get home and get some beauty sleep. It's obviously worked on you so far." Edward winked and I just grinned at him like an idiot.

I didn't fancy waking up Art like I had Mr. Connolly, so I just banged the door loudly and he sat up immediately.

"Ah shit, I fell asleep. Everything okay, Bella?" Art rubbed his eyes and stood.

"Yeah, fine. There's only Edward still here. I've finished up, just the cashing up left to do. I can do it if you like?"

"No, I'm just going to lock up and head upstairs to bed. I'll stick the takings in the safe and cash up tomorrow. I'll just do that and I'll walk you home, give me a minute?" Art yawned loudly.

"No, I'll be home in ten minutes, tops. You stay here. I'll be fine, Art, honestly," I insisted; he was clearly as exhausted as I was and I hated being escorted home like a child.

"You know the score, Bella. I always walk Sandy home after she's finished. No exceptions." Art scowled.

"Art, you look worn out. I'm heading off home now anyway, I'll walk her, yeah?" Edward had pulled on his jacket.

"That okay with you, Bella? Thanks, Edward, I owe you one." Art didn't even wait for my reply before ushering us towards the door. "Still on for tomorrow night? Sally can't get in until nine." I had agreed to cover three until nine for another bartender and right now I was seriously regretting it.

"Yep, see you tomorrow." Edward held the door open and I walked outside.

_Wow, __Mr_. _Delicious __is __walking __you __home_. _If __you __play __your __cards __right_, _you __will __be __straddling __him __for __real._

"Thanks for offering, but you really don't need to walk me home. I'll be fine, honestly," I offered weakly; I didn't really want him to just head straight home, but at the same time I was panicking. What if someone saw us together? What if someone took a picture?

_Breathe Bella, breathe._

Edward shook his head and simply said, "I don't think so."

As we were walking, my phone rang. Angela was home and she was beyond drunk.

"Bella Wella Woo, how are you?" she slurred down the phone.

"Better than you by the sounds of it, Angela. Are you okay?" I really didn't fancy looking after a drunk when I got in. I needed to sleep.

_Or straddle._

"I'm fine, purrrfectly fine; where are you?"

"Just on my way home. I'll not be long. Maybe you should go to sleep, Angela. You can hardly talk."

"Okay, okay, I'm off to the land of asleepness."

With that she hung up and I groaned. "Bloody marvellous, she's hammered."

Edward chuckled. "What would your definition of hammered be? So drunk, she falls asleep only, to emerge with a hangover from hell in the morning, or the kind of drunk where she'll soon be faced with a pleasant view of the bottom of a toilet just before she throws up?"

"Probably throwing up and no doubt I'll get stuck cleaning it up," I grumbled.

Edward found this amusing and he laughed to himself the rest of the walk to my apartment. At the entrance to the building, I turned to thank him.

"This is me. Thanks for this. It wasn't necessary but thanks all the same." I smiled but made no attempt to move.

"It was necessary and it was my pleasure. New York is not exactly the best place for someone like you to be walking alone at two on a Saturday morning." Edward stuffed his hands into his pockets and nodded. "Well, I guess I'll see you around then." He actually looked like he was reluctant to leave.

_Go on, strap on a pair and invite the man in._

"Do you want to come in for a drink? Bearing in mind, the total squalor in which we live and the chance of our bathroom being occupied with someone throwing up in it?" I smiled at him hopefully.

"Sounds great. I'll chance the squalor and the vomit." He laughed and walked with me into the building.

Inner Bella had broken into song. She was singing "Celebration" at the top of her voice and to be honest I almost joined in with her.

As we walked straight through the door, he frowned. "Doesn't this door lock?"

"It does, but everyone just tends to leave the catch off. The buzzers are really temperamental and don't always open the door from the apartments," I said, laughing. "Squalor, remember?"

I unlocked the door to the apartment and stepped through, waiting for him to come inside before closing it. I didn't turn the lights on in the lounge, in case it disturbed Angela or Alice. I was about to walk him over to the couch when the moonlight from the window reflected on someone's bare arse bent over my couch. Jasper and Alice were going at it like rabbits in our apartment. I whirled around and barged into Edward. I marched him out of the apartment and closed the door behind me.

"Oh my God, I'm going to kill her! For god's sake, Jazz' apartment is only over the hall. I'm sorry you had to see that – gross," I groaned and slid down onto the floor beside my door.

Of course, Edward was a man, so he found the whole thing highly amusing. "Well, that's something you don't see every day."

"I may not see it, but believe me, we hear it; they never stop," I moaned.

"I guess I'd better skip that drink. Maybe some other time?" Edward held out his hand and pulled me up with a little too much effort and I banged into his chest. My heartbeat spiked as I locked on his eyes. "You're back at Art's tomorrow?" he murmured, not looking away.

Barely able to control my voice, I nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. It should be my day off, but I agreed to cover. I'm in at three." His head had leaned ever so slightly towards mine and he was biting his lower lip and staring at me intensely.

_Oh __God_, _he __wants __to __kiss __you_._ Do __it, __kiss __him, __kiss __him, __KISS __HIM!_

Could I kiss him? Could I actually do it? No, who was I kidding? The cowardly lion that I am did nothing except drop my gaze and stare at the floor awkwardly for a moment. "So, are you going back to Los Angeles?"

_Time __to __go __and __see __the __Wizard __of __Oz __and __ask __for __some __courage_, _you __chicken._

"No, I've got a few days here." Edward smiled and took a small step back. "Well, maybe I'll see you tomorrow. The rest of the guys want to shoot some pool, so we'll probably go to Art's."

"Okay, tomorrow then. Maybe?" I tried to play it cool, but my voice gave me away. Edward inevitably noticed and a smile played on the corner of his lips.

"I hope so." Then before I could realise what was happening, Edward leaned in and kissed me swiftly on the cheek.

_Say something, say anything._

"Bye, Edward."

_Oh __crap, __Bella_, _not __that._

As he turned to leave, he paused and looked back. "Bella, just in case your inner voices ever gain control, I'll make sure I wear a shirt again tomorrow." He shot me a wink and walked out of the building.

_SWEET __JESUS_, _THE __MAN __WANTS __YOU __TO __STRADDLE __HIM. __LET __ME __OUT, __LET __ME __OUT, __LET __ME __OUT!_

Fumbling about in a daze, I didn't even bother to warn Jasper and Alice that I was home. I just drifted into my bedroom, mumbling a weak "excuse me" and closing the door. I fell onto my bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

**Thanks for reading :D More soon. The details about Bella's past do come out pretty soon I promise!**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to Prettyflour for prereading, but I have tinkered with this since so any mistakes are mine.**

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and not me!**

**4 - Kick Back, Relax & Enjoy Yourself**

BPOV

When I woke up on Saturday**,** it was almost eleven. I lay in bed for a few minutes**,** my mind in overdrive. I really couldn't comprehend what was happening.

_Nothing's happening yet. Don't go getting over-analytical. A drop-dead gorgeous rock star may want you to straddle him, but if you act like a mad-woman it's never gonna happen!_

Okay, so nothing was happening yet, and in all honesty probably never would. Still, if I had any degree of confidence in myself**,** then I could admit that on each occasion I had seen Edward, he had flirted with me and actually seemed interested in what I had to say. If this was Alice and I was listening objectively, I would be insisting that this guy fancied her pants off and would be telling her to take things into her own hands. However, I was not objective, I had little self-confidence and I had never made a move on a man in my life.

I needed to clear my head and decided to go for a run through the park. I rarely did this at the weekend—I was either exhausted from working the previous night or I was exhausted and hung-over from going out the previous night. I tidied myself up a little and pulled on some shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. Of course, I hadn't factored in Alice and Angela being awake. If I had then I wouldn't have even bothered to get dressed, because there was no way they were letting me out of the apartment until I'd given them every detail. The second I left my room I was immediately pounced upon by the girls who quite literally dragged me over to the couch, each looking at me with varied expressions.

"How dare you think about leaving this apartment until you've told us every last morsel. Why didn't you tell us who Mr. Delicious really was? "Alice was glaring at me, her arms folded tightly across her chest and her left leg jigging on the spot.

Angela looked like she was ready to burst with excitement, "Seriously, Bella, this is A-MA-ZING! Edward Cullen, oh my God!" Her eyes were wild and she was clapping her hands together frantically.

"Okay, okay, calm down please. I'm sorry I didn't tell you who he really was, I could barely believe it myself and I knew exactly how you would react." I waved my hands in front of them to prove my point. "I never expected to talk to him again, so I didn't think it would be an issue. I am really sorry, guys, okay?"

"Whatever. What we really want to hear now is what happened last night? After we left did he come back to talk to you?" Alice had remained in exactly the same position, but poor Angela couldn't keep still.

"Fine, just let me get through it before you start bombarding me with questions okay?" I sighed.

After they had agreed I proceeded to tell them everything. When I had finally finished they were both still as a rock and gawking at me like I had been talking Swahili.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my. Bella, he totally fancies you. That is so amazing—seriously wow! Angela swooned closing her eyes and swaying while she sat.

"Come on, Ang, he was just having a bit of fun and a flirt," I moaned, wishing with every bone in my body that she was actually right.

"Bella, shut up. I agree with Angela. If this wasn't a famous, inch-perfect, god-like creature and he was just a regular guy you had met in a bar, what would you think? You wouldn't think anything. Instead, I guarantee that you would be sneaking back home in last night's clothes with sex hair and a very satisfied smile on your face. I saw him staring at you while we were sitting with him at the bar. Bella, he never took his eyes off you." Alice grabbed my shoulders and shook me as she spoke, "He wanted to see you tonight, if he didn't like you he would have just said, 'Goodnight, Bella', nothing else."

I couldn't take all of this in; I needed to get out of the apartment right now. I didn't want to get too far in front of myself but how in the world could anything ever happen with a guy like that? He must have photographers leaping out at him everywhere he went. I couldn't even contemplate having to run again. I loved it here and I'd never felt more at home. I couldn't risk everything I'd built for myself for a good night of wham bam could I?

_Please, please, please risk it. That man would make your toes curl I'm sure!_

"Look I need to get out and clear my head; it's too much to think about. I'm back at work at three so we can chat when I get back. I won't be long, okay?" I didn't wait for an answer. I slipped on my sneakers and hurried from the apartment.

I jogged to the park with my IPod blasting and ran three laps around the reservoir. I loved this place. The way the trees overhung the path in a canopy effect above my head, the sun high in the sky reflecting off the water, creating mirror images of the skyscrapers on the surface, and seeing those high rise buildings in the distance, but feeling a million miles away from anything remotely "city". I was covered in sweat by the time I'd finished; it was a really hot and humid day but I did feel a little better. Of course I hadn't succeeded in totally expelling all thoughts of Edward from my mind, I had a feeling that he would be stuck in there for some time to come.

Thanks to some inspirational words from Cyndi Lauper and Beyonce amongst others, (naturally Inner-Bella had been singing Etta James' "I just wanna make love to you") I had decided just to have a little fun, what harm could come from that? I agreed with Alice, I needed to kick back, relax, enjoy my life and stop worrying about everything. Easier said than done but I had to give it a try.

When I got back to the apartment I went straight to the kitchen to get something to eat. Our selection of food was abysmal as usual. I used the last remaining egg and managed to make myself a very bland omelette.

_Sustenance is important. You need to keep your strength up for tonight—there could be kissing, touching, licking. Oh God, there could be straddling!_

"Behave," I muttered.

That earned me a peculiar look from Alice who had appeared at the window separating the kitchen and the lounge.

"So, what are you going to do if he shows tonight?" she asked, still frowning at me like I was insane.

"I'll be working, Alice, and if he does show up he'll be with his friends," I grumbled as I tried to eat my lunch. "Besides, he's not going to show up again. I'm sure any romantic thoughts he had would have disappeared the moment he saw Jazz's bare arse bent over you on the couch last night. That was beyond gross, by the way."

"You'll get over it, so will Edwared." Alice shrugged, completely unperturbed by the whole thing. Seriously, nothing embarrassed this girl. I could do with taking some notes on how she did it.

"Anyway, back to you," she continued. "You're only working until Sally shows, right? So, we'll come and sit with you while you work, and then as soon as you're done, we can all go out for some fun. I'll bring you a sexy little number and if Mr. Delicious is at the bar you can show him what you've got!"

"Yeah, a girly night out is just what we need, I'm not in work until six tomorrow afternoon." Angela bounced on the spot excitedly. "Come on, Bella."

"That sounds like a good idea. Even if he doesn't show, I could do with a drink or two. But don't you dare bring something too skimpy or sexy, Alice. Just something _nice, _we will be in Arts after all." I finished my omelette and washed up. "I'm going to shower before work."

I spent far too long in the shower, dissecting things again; I really needed to loosen up.

_Yeah and carry that thought with you tonight, maybe even loosen his pants up too._

Eventually I emerged; I quickly dried my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. After dressing in my work clothes I left; shooting another stern warning to the girls to bring me something nice to wear as I walked out of the front door.

When I got to work I found Sandrine standing behind the bar talking to Mr. Connolly. I greeted them both and walked into the office.

Art glanced up at me from behind his desk and started laughing, "Heard you had fun last night?"

"What do you mean by that?" I quizzed, "What did you hear?"

"Nothing much really, just that Edward caught quite an eyeful of Alice's boyfriend last night when he walked you home. Classy girl that one isn't she?" Art continued to chuckle.

"Oh yeah, it was embarrassing and unpleasant. Jasper's bare arse isn't anything that I needed to see." I paused before asking, "How did you find out about that?"

"Edward and the guys stopped by just after lunch for a few drinks. I need to give Alice some shit about that," he added still laughing. "

"Yeah Edward mentioned he was coming here for a drink. " Disappointment flooded through me. He had already been in and left. Had he done it to avoid me?

_He knew what time you were working, and he made sure he had already gone before your shift started. That's it then, there shall never be any straddling of Mr. Delicious._

I decided to text Alice.

**Mr. D has already been and gone. So he won't be making an appearance tonight. I guess the only thing left to say is, I TOLD YOU SO! B x**

_Oh crap, Bella, I'm sorry. Well it's his loss, I bet he had a tiny cock anyway. Just a few more hours & you can drink your sorrows away lol A x_

**Now that I am looking forward to. Bring on the alcohol. B x**

The afternoon dragged, I was really regretting agreeing to work. Saturday afternoons were usually pretty steady, but there weren't enough alcoholic patrons in the whole of Manhattan to keep me busy enough to shoo away the disappointment that I still felt.

At about seven the girls arrived. Alice had a dress in her hand which was definitely not something nice, it was something sexy and I shot her an icy look.

"You have got to be kidding me, Alice, I'm not wearing that." I continued to glare at her.

The dress was a smoky grey, one shouldered, very short number with a pleated design that ran from the bust line to the hem and there was a thin belt which pulled at the waist. In her other hand, Alice had a pair of black open-toed sandals with heels that were almost as high as the bar stools.

"We're all dressed the same. Come on, Bella, it's about time you embraced the fact that you're hot and dress accordingly. You WILL wear this. End of discussion." Alice went and put the outfit in the office and I heard Art laugh at her as he commented on last night's encounter.

I didn't get much chance to chat with the girls as the bar started to fill. I kept looking around to see who was coming in through the door. I repeatedly told myself I was just looking for Sally showing up so I could go.

_Oh please, Sally my arse. You are so looking for Mr. Delicious. Just admit it woman, you blew it._

Yeah, I really blew it.

By eight thirty, Sally still hadn't arrived and a very sheepish looking Art called me over. "Bella, I really hate to ask but Sally can't get in; she's stuck in Chicago. Any chance you could work until things die down?"

"Aw, come on, Art," I dithered. I had issues with saying no to people and those big, baby blues he was shooting at me weren't helping. "Um...I..."

"No way, Art, we're partying tonight. Bella, you tell him no do you hear me?" Alice was gesticulating towards my boss and glaring at me.

"Please, Bella, just give me until eleven yeah? You can take the girls up to the pool bar and work there. It's always quieter in there and if anyone does get too rowdy, Alice can kick their ass." He ignored the evil eye Alice was giving him, and then unleashed his secret weapon. "Tell you what, the girls can have a few drinks on the house while they wait."

With the mention of free drinks, Art had Alice and Angela immediately on his side, so naturally I agreed. I trudged wearily upstairs and prepared myself for another few hours work.

"So, what did Art say about Edward?" Alice asked as she and Angela took a seat at the bar.

"Just that he'd stopped by earlier with the guys. That's when he told them about seeing you and Jazz on the couch." I sighed. "They'd gone before I started."

"Maybe he didn't realise you wouldn't be there?" Angela offered.

"I told him what time my shift started," I said and then added, "It's probably for the best. It's not like anything would have happened anyway."

Working the pool bar was a breeze as long as the customers behaved themselves. As a rule, the only people in here came to play pool. They came to the bar just to re-fill, and I knew the girls and I would get plenty of chance to talk. I tried to be enthusiastic and join in with their conversations, but I couldn't deny I was still gutted that Edward was a no-show.

"Bella, we're just going to have a game of pool. You don't mind, right?" Alice asked.

"In those dresses?" I laughed and she just shrugged. "This I have to see."

I had to smile at their enthusiasm as they giggled and mocked each other, while discreetly trying to take their shots at the table.

Eager to busy myself and pass the time, I looked around for game of something to do. One of the fridges was looking a bit empty so I heaved a crate of beer over and began re-stocking it.

"Hi, Bella. Art said I'd find you up here."

There was that voice again, was I hearing things? I froze for a split-second before standing and turning in his direction.

_Nope not hearing things—there he is._

Edward was leaning against the bar smiling at me. "How come you're up here tonight?"

"Art's roped me into covering until later. As a bribe he offered a quiet shift and free drinks for them." I motioned to Angela and Alice over by the pool table. I found myself smiling at him. I couldn't help it. He must have been telepathically linked with the muscles in my face.

_Ooh wouldn't you like to be linked with some of his other muscles too?_

"That's a relief. When I couldn't see you downstairs, I though I might have scared you off last night." Edward laughed and moved to sit at one of the stools.

Wow he was fucking spectacular. Tonight's attire was just as sexy; he had a short sleeved navy shirt with white pin-stripes and a pair of cream chinos with some loafers on his large feet.

_Big feet huh? Take a quick peek further south, his trousers look pretty tight and I want to see what he's packing for lunch._

"Mmm, because your company was definitely the most unpleasant thing of the night," I sneered sarcastically.

"I suppose you're right. That dude's naked ass was not something I'd like to see again. If we were talking about your ass though..." Edward trailed off suggestively and then burst out laughing again.

_He wants to see your ass! Show it to him and then STRADDLE, STRADDLE, STRADDLE. NOW, NOW, NOW!_

"Yeah right," I scoffed in embarrassment. I had been so wrapped up in him that I had only just realised he wasn't alone and three other men were standingbehind him at the bar. "So, what are you drinking?" I asked making sure I acknowledged each of them.

"Beers all round, Bella, please. Can I buy you a drink?" Edward asked politely.

_So sweet and thoughtful, STRADDLE!_

"Thanks but no. I've still got a few hours left yet. Maybe later though?" I grinned and turned to get the beers.

"Later then. I won't forget you know." Edward turned and handed the beers back to his friends. "Guys, this is Bella, Art's best employee. Bella, you remember Emmett, Seth and Garrett right?"

"Hi guys," I replied, smiling.

I tried to match the names with faces, wishing I had paid more attention to the band as a whole. I saw them shoot a look over to the pool tables which were all occupied.

"Look, the girls over at that table are waiting for me. Just tell them to finish up and send them back over here." I indicated over to Angela and Alice.

"Let's not be too hasty, we can share right guys?" The man I believed to be Seth, snickered and made his way over to the girls, followed by the one I assumed was Garrett.

Edward remained in his seat and the fourth guy stood behind him. I knew this was Emmett, Edward's brother, although they were different in their physical appearance. Emmett was very muscular with dark hair, and also very good looking, but he lacked the, "oh, sweet Jesus" effect that his brother had in abundance.

_Nice analogy, very impressive._

"Nice to meet you again, Bella, I hope my brother's not annoying you as much as he is us? Shit, we've heard so much about you this week I feel like I know you already." Emmett laughed and slapped his brother playfully across the back.

"Yeah he's a bit annoying isn't he? I can't seem to get rid of him. Doesn't he have anywhere else to go?" I teased, smiling at Edward.

"There are plenty of places I can go but you wouldn't be there so I'm not interested," Edward grinned back, his eyes locked on my face. Emmett rolled his eyes and walked off towards the others who were now laughing and joking with my friends.

"So what have you been doing with yourself today?" Edward asked as he drank his beer.

"I went for a run in the park before work. Nothing exciting I'm afraid. I would ask you the same but Art mentioned you'd been in already sharing the story of Jasper and his arse!" I laughed and moved to sit on the stool behind the bar.

"I like 'arse'. Arse is so much better than ass," he chuckled.

"If you're such a fan of arse then may I suggest a club a few blocks away which might be better suited for you, if you know what I mean." I giggled.

"That was a low blow, Bella." Edward narrowed his eyes at me, "Anyway, like I said earlier the only 'arse' I want to see would be yours." Once again he laughed before shooting me a wink.

"Wow, you're full of yourself tonight. Maybe a drink later isn't the best idea!"

"Sorry, Bella, you're not getting out of it that easy." He pushed his empty bottle toward me. "I'm still due a drink alone with you after last night."

_Oh, God...it's too much._

I got him another beer and looked around the bar. A few more people had drifted into the room and it was getting too busy for anyone to play their games easily. Clearly, the buzz of having world-famous Zeus in the bar had caught people's attention. One girl, with fake hair, fake boobs, fake lips and no ability to move her face from the mouth up, made her way over to the bar and pulled a stool close beside Edward. Obviouslt she wasn't up here for the pool.

"Well, hi there. I know who you are. Wow you're even sexier in person. I'm Heidi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Edward, right?" The little hussy breathed sexily to Edward and held out her hand.

Edward looked at her outstretched hand, and then at her face. "Hi," he said simply and then turned back to look at me, rolling his eyes.

"I can't imagine why you're here?" Heidi glanced around the bar and turned up her nose. "Why don't I show you somewhere much better."

"I'm just waiting for my girl to finish work." Edward smiled at her and grabbed one of my hands which had been resting on the bar. "Last night was fucking amazing. I can't wait to get you back to my place again." Edward stared at me intently and furrowed his eyebrows, and I was confused for the smallest fraction of a second.

_He wants to get rid of the dirty slut, play along you idiot._

"Oh God yeah, I wouldn't miss _that _for the world, baby!" I winked at him and stroked the top of his hand seductively.

DirtySlut huffed and shot me a glare before storming from the room.

"Whew, thanks for that. It's definitely the fastest way to get rid of tramps like her." he smiled at me before throwing in a shudder for effect.

"No problem, I suppose that's one of the 'perks' right? Always plenty of women throwing themselves at you everywhere you go." I glanced down and realized that my hand was still on top of his, I pulled it off and mumbled, "Sorry."

Edward looked like he was about to say something when Angela bounded towards us. "Two more drinks please, Bella. As soon as you're done go get changed, and we can have a few shots here before we go somewhere else, okay?" Angela didn't wait for my response and just grabbed the beers and skipped away.

"Florentino's no doubt. That place is so fake. I don't think any of the girls in there would ever have to worry about drowning. Their surgically enhanced tits and lips would keep them afloat," I muttered grumpily.

I did hate that place but somehow we always ended up there. The thing was, now Edward was here, sitting at the bar, talking to _me_. I didn't want to go anywhere, I wanted to stay right where I was.

"So don't go and stay here with us instead. We're not that bad you know?" Edward asked quietly, almost nervously. I looked at him and smiled,

"You might not be that bad, but I can't be held responsible for their actions." I indicated towards Angela and Alice. "When they're in good form they terrify me!" I laughed.

"I'm serious. Hang out with me instead," he said again, and I felt my heart begin to race.

"You'll be sorry you asked after they get you arrested for disorderly conduct and you end up sharing a cell with a rather large man called Amos." I hoped I came across as cool, but inside I was anything but.

Edward laughed. "Never happen—I can dazzle my way out of pretty much anything you know."

The bar upstairs was now far too crowded. Those already upstairs playing pool had given me an earful about not having room to play and left. The majority of people remaining were women, all trying to catch the eye of anyone from the band. Unfortunately for them, Emmett, Seth, and Garrett were having too much fun goofing about with Alice and Angela; in fact they were still trying to play pool. Alice was being her usual charming self, "accidentally on purpose" hitting people with her cue to try and get them to move.

Edward meanwhile, was at the bar with me and didn't give any of these floozy's a second glance. Despite the fact they weren't going to score with anyone, none of the girls actually left the bar. I started to get a little stressed out; people were complaining how long it had taken to be served and were getting too boisterous.

Edward stood and said, "I'll go and give Art a shout." He jogged out of the room and every girl in the bar turned to watch him leave.

I was getting seriously pissed off; I shouldn't have even been working tonight, never mind dealing with irate and horny women all trying to get a piece of Zeus.

_I want a piece of Mr. Delicious!_

Suddenly, Art burst into the room shouting, "Okay everyone, downstairs please. I'm closing up here, but you can get served at the main bar downstairs." He began ushering everyone out.

Soon enough all but Alice, Angela, and the band had left the room. Art walked over to me with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Bella, guess our 'guests' here drew in quite a crowd. Listen, just clean up and then you're done. You and the guys can stay up here and help yourselves to drinks. but tidy up afterwards yeah?" Art apologised to the guys for the hassle and went back downstairs.

"Thank God for that!" I huffed as I started gathering the glasses and bottles that were strewn about the now empty bar.

To my surprise Edward collected a few empties himself and brought them over to me while I loaded the dishwasher. I wiped down the bar and then got myself a soon as I drank some I couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Ah, that's much better."

"So that's you done?" Edward was sitting back at the bar again smiling as I drank.

"Yeah, finally! Thanks for going to grab Art, if you hadn't I'd be alcohol free and still working." And then, before I could stop myself the next few words just came hurtling out. "You certainly helped get me off quicker than I would have done alone!"

_Oh shit, what the hell did you just say? Christ Almighty you should never be allowed to talk without some sort of screening process!_

I saw Edward unsuccessfully try to stifle a laugh and before I could even start to explain, he replied casually, "Anytime."

I threw back the rest of my drink in shame, and then I walked out from behind the bar. "I'm going to change."

As I headed away from him Edward called out, "You are coming back aren't you?"

I looked toward Angela and Alice and laughed, "Of course, I doubt those two are planning on going anywhere!"

I walked quickly down the stairs and made my way through the heaving crowd to the office. I called out to Art who was behind the bar with Sandrine, "I'm getting changed, so I'm locking the door okay?" Art nodded and carried on serving.

I stripped down to my underwear and grabbed the dress Alice had brought for me. I couldn't deny it was pretty but not really suitable for anywhere like this. I sighed angrily and pulled it over my head.

Admittedly once I had it on I felt much better. It hugged in all the right places, covered all the right places and revealed just enough in all the right places too. I applied a bit of make-up and pulled my hair into a low side bun, letting a few strands hang down. I finished it off with the ridiculous shoes, a squirt of perfume, and then stuffed the rest of my clothes into my bag, before hanging it on the coat rack in the corner of Art's office.

I made my way rather unsteadily back up the stairs. Just as I reached the door a creepy looking man stopped me. He had a mop of greasy hair which was slicked back against his head, and there was a strong smell of stale sweat radiating from him.

"Hey, Precious, let me buy you a drink," he drawled and planted his eyes straight on my two friends situated a little further south than my face.

"No thanks," I said, as I moved to step around him.

Creepy Creepyson, however, seemed to think he was irresistible and backed up against the door not allowing me to pull it open, "Come on sweet cheeks you know you want to really. Just say yes and let me show you a good time?" He winked at me in expectation.

"No way, never, not a chance. Now would you stop being such a wanker and let me past." I was glaring at him and he smirked. He was about to say something else when he was barged out of the way by someone flinging the door open from inside the bar.

"Oh sorry, man, I didn't see you there. Not really the most intelligent place to stand is it though?" Alice grabbed my arm and dragged me inside.

"You always manage to attract the freaks, Bella, I'll give you that. The next time someone bothers you, just tell them you're a dude in a dress and they'll leave you well alone. Although, maybe not when you're in that dress." Alice smiled smugly, "I said you would look hot. Are you coming for a game of pool?"

"Absolutely not. I need to catch up, you two have been drinking for hours." I pointed to the bar and walked off.

I had to giggle when I caught sight of Edward stood behind the bar with a towel over his forearm. I think I saw him look me up and down but I couldn't be sure.

_Live in hope. You can always live in hope._

"Suits you, Edward, are you sure you're in the right line of work?" I asked cheekily.

"I could say the same to you, you're definitely better suited on that side of the bar." He laughed and set a beer down in front of me, quickly followed by two shot glasses and a bottle of tequila.

"I don't think Art meant for us to drink him dry you know?" I warned as I took a drink of the beer.

"I can handle Art." Edward walked around the bar and sat on the stool beside me. "I suppose you get that a lot?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Creeps like the one outside trying it on."

"You saw that?"

"I was just about to intercede, but your friend beat me to it. I doubt I'd have been as subtle. Creep couldn't take a hint."

_He's jealous. Rejoice, praise the lord, hallelujah._

"Yeah, once men get a drink down their neck their confidence seems to know no bounds." I laughed. "Actually, there is this one guy in particular who's starting to get on my nerves. He keeps showing up at the bar and just sits there all night. He even insists on walking me home and plying me with alcohol. I mean what's that all about?"

_Ooh get you, you're flirting._

"Touché! Although maybe you encouraged his behaviour—just a little." Edward eyed me accusingly.

I took a long drink, watching him carefully as I did. "I don't see how." I hadn't taken my eyes from his for a minute or so and I felt like I was burning up.

Edward swung around on his stool, so he could lean back against the bar. Once again I caught his eye roam down my dress to the tops of my legs. "Well, your comment about straddling might have driven him a little crazy. I'd say you were all he could think about."

I was momentarily flummoxed, what could I say back to that?

_Say? Nothing. Do? Straddle!_

"Wow no smart comment? I'm shocked," he mocked,

"I'm not usually a smart-arse as a matter of fact," I harrumphed in his direction and grabbed the bottle of Tequila. I poured us two shots and pushed one towards him. He picked it up and raised his glass.

"Cheers," I muttered as I downed the shot. "Burgh, I hate this stuff. Good job it works." I choked.

We had several more shots and beers together. As a result, I was loosening up. I found it much easier to talk to him and quizzed him about travelling and performing.

I soon became a little self-conscious that I had been prattling on like an idiot for a while. "Sorry, I bet I sound like a total fangirl. I must be annoying the crap out of you."

"Not at all," he said. "You're definitely the most talkative I've seen, but I suppose we can blame the alcohol for that. I'm not complaining though, you know how much I like to listen to your voice."

_If my calculations are correct, you could have his pants off and be straddling him in less than two seconds. _

"Right, you've had more than enough time to drink yourself silly. Come on, Bella, let's have a game of pool." Alice walked over to us and proceeded to drag me over to the pool tables.

"I'm not playing. You put me in this dress, Alice, you know how short it is. Besides I can't play pool anyway," I insisted.

Angela too pleaded with me, "Come on, Bella, I can stand behind you we can play doubles. It will be so much fun."

"Come on, I'd be willing to bet you're the best tactical player. With all those voices in your head telling you your options, none of us would stand a chance." Seth smirked.

"What did you just say?" I asked and then whirled around to face Edward who had followed us over to the tables. I scowled at him. "You tosser—you told them what I said?"

Unfortunately, everyone else found the use of the word "tosser" hilarious and began to mimic me in terrible British accents.

Edward stepped over to me and put his hands on my shoulders.

_Oh sweet Jesus, he's touching you. No possibility of straddling when you are standing like this, so just RIP HIS SHIRT OPEN!_

"Sorry, Bella, I had to tell them about you. I was useless in rehearsals Wednesday morning, I kept messing up," Edward looked down at me apologetically, he was trying to soften me up but it wasn't going to work. "They knew something, or should I say someone, was on my mind."

"What's that got to do with telling them I'm a bloody lunatic?" I was trying so hard to be annoyed but I was failing. I was almost ready to assault him.

_Goddamn he smells good._

He kept his hands on my shoulders and leaned his face a little closer. "I couldn't get you out of my head, Bella. The whole leaping, straddling and ripping comment had me up all night." He had leaned even closer and I could smell the tequila on his breath. His lips were inches from mine.

"Oh," I whispered pathetically,

_Oh. Is that the best you can do, you idiot? How about you add something to that like, "Oh...excuse me, Mr. Delicious, would you mind if I shoved my tongue in your mouth?'"or, "Oh...excuse me, Mr. Delicious, would you shove your tongue in my mouth?"_

Edward continued to lean in, and right at that moment I could confidently say he was about to kiss me. Inner-Bella revelled in delight, but of course I'm just not that lucky and right at that moment Edward's band mate, Garrett, shouted over to him, "Edward, buddy, you're up next. Come on you can break."

Edward sighed heavily in frustration and rolled his eyes, before stepping back and walking over to play pool. For the next hour or so I didn't get chance to talk to him. I did get roped into playing a game, much to my dismay. Alice and I played doubles against Seth and Emmett. I demanded Alice stand behind me whenever I took a shot and more than once or twice I caught Edward's eyes lingering as I was stooped over the table.

Of course I had a great time watching him play too. Every time he bent over to take a shot, I got a magnificent view of that perfect little ass of his.

The time flew by, and at about one thirty I peeked downstairs. The bar had all but emptied. Sandrine was cleaning up and I guessed Art would want to close up soon. I picked up a few glasses and bottles and carefully made my way over to the bar. I put the bottles in the bin and the glasses on top of the dishwasher which was still finishing its previous cycle. I was pleasantly surprised that I hadn't tripped or stumbled in the process and looked up to see Edward smiling at me as I walked back towards him.

"I reckon Art's going to want to close up. It's probably best if we leave now," I told the others.

"Ooh, why don't we go to Florentino's? We can have a few more drinks, it's only early we can't call it a night just yet." Angela suggested. "Are you guys' up for that?"

Alice nodded in agreement and the guys all sounded enthusiastic about the idea too. Well I wasn't, I knew exactly which club she would drag me to and I hated the place. Alice sensed my hesitation and refused to let me even try to get out of it.

"Bella, don't even bother trying to worm your way out of this. We've had a great time so far and that dress is far too pretty to waste on a night out in this bar." She leaned close and whispered, "And, just think you'll get another few hours with Edward if you do come along."

"But Florentino's? I really hate that fucking place, Alice," I bitched and walked sulkily downstairs. "We're going, Art, apparently in order to end a good night I need to continue drinking at an overrated club until I throw up," I grumbled.

"I completely agree." He laughed, and then added appreciatively, "Oh and, Bella, thanks again for tonight you were a lifesaver."

Edward stood close beside me and reached out to shake Arts hand. "Catch you later, buddy, I'm flying out to LA on Monday so I'll see you when I get back." I saw Edward throw some money down on the bar before we walked outside.

"Did you just pay him for the drinks?" I quizzed as we set off for the club which was only a block away.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to drink away his stock of Tequila for free. I earn more than him so it's only fair," he pointed out simply. "When it got a little busy I asked him to close the bar, except for us of course. I told you I wanted to have a drink with you in peace and I was getting impatient."

_I'm getting impatient too, Mr. D. I need to see you naked._

We were beginning to fall back from the others, so Edward put his hand on my back and walked us forward a little faster. As he did he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I'm glad you agreed to come to the club."

"You won't be saying that when I throw up all over you later," I muttered, but Edward just laughed.

"Drunk or sober I'll take you. Truth is, I had no intention of saying goodnight to you just yet, Bella."

_Oh my..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN This was the first chapter that has been split in two. The first time around this was huge and I want to try and keep them all around about the same size. _**

**_Thanks for reading - more soon :D_**

**_Katy_**

**_x_**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N This chapter is the first significantly different one to the first time around. No more fade to black :D**

**Chapter 5 – To Straddle Or Not To Straddle?**

BPOV

Edward and I caught up to the others outside the club, his hand still placed gently on my back and my skin was burning at his touch. The line outside was long and I was amazed that the guys didn't cause more of a commotion. But, either no one noticed them, or their presence was such a regular occurence that no one cared. Either way, I was just thankful for the anonymity. Seth greeted one of the doormen like an old friend and he let us walk straight inside.

"Bloody Florentino's," I whined, "I hate this sodding place."

The decor had to be the worst I had ever seen. It was literally a sixties and seventies temple of worship. The lights were varying shades of luminous yellow, pink, green, and neon blue. The seating areas dotted around the club were all beanbag love-seats in the same bright colours and the minute anyone in a skirt tried to sit down, the whole club got a flash of their underwear, or on some occasions—lack there-of.

Of course we were usually in the main section of the club, but not tonight. As we were accompanying the guys from Zeus, we were privileged enough to be escorted to the much less-crowded VIP area. The decor upstairs was less gaudy and the seats were more practical. It was situated on a mezzanine level, and looked down onto the main dance floor. In this particular part of the club there was a strict no camera policy, so there were a couple of security staff present, enforcing that rule. I looked around and recognised a few faces, maybe one or two actors and a basketball player. I couldn't remember their names but still, I was quite impressed.

There were no tables free so we moved over to one of the corners. Angela and Alice started dancing away in their own little world while Garrett and Emmett went to the bar. Edward and I stood together, leaning against the wall.

"Where's Seth?" I asked. I couldn't see him anywhere.

_Who cares about Seth? Mr. Delicious is right there!_

Edward laughed and leaned to talk in my ear. "He's gone downstairs to hunt for a woman. I doubt we'll see him for the rest of the night. Are you still angry we came here?"

I laughed. "Not so much. I'm enjoying your company and it's definitely better up here. The psychedelic colours downstairs make me feel like I'm tripping." I couldn't take my eyes from Edward's. The alcohol was making me rather brave.

"I'm not really a fan either. Seth knows the owner so he makes us show our faces every now and then. If I'd known it was somewhere you came on a regular basis I would probably have asked to come back more often." Edward had moved his body slightly so he was almost standing over me.

I was dying to kiss this guy but I was a coward through and through. I was almost relieved when Garrett and Emmett appeared with two rounds of shots each and six beers.

_Yeah, get some more Dutch courage in you._

We raised our glasses and took the shots. Angela and Alice were soon itching to go back downstairs so they could dance. I refused point-blank, and when Alice saw just how close Edward was standing next to me she nodded and dragged a protesting Angela with her. A few minutes later Garrett and Emmett drifted away from us and went to stand by the bar.

"Wow, we've certainly scared everyone away, haven't we?" I looked around and was happy to see we were pretty much out of sight.

"It would seem so, yeah." Edward chuckled and moved even closer. "Why didn't you go and dance?"

I narrowed my eyes and looked down to my feet. "Are you kidding me? These shoes were not designed for dancing. They're barely designed for walking and standing."

We had a few more beers and talked about the different bars and clubs we tended to visit. I was surprised to learn he preferred places like Art's. The reason made sense; he explained he hated the pretentiousness of clubs like this. When he went out he just liked to have a drink and play pool without having people trying to latch on all the time.

"Latch on? Rather like I'm doing right now?" I giggled.

Edward shook his head and said, "You've never latched on, Bella. Most of the time I feel like it's the other way around and you're desperate to get rid of me. Do you want another drink?"

I shook my head, it was almost three in the morning and I was ready to go home. "I'll probably be leaving in a few minutes. I'm tired and my feet are absolutely killing me."

"Leaving already? The girls have only just gone downstairs and I doubt you'll find them easily." Edward frowned at me. "Can't you stay?"

"I'll just make a quick escape and text them once I'm outside. If I wait for them to come back they'll never let me leave." I laughed at his disgruntled expression. "Don't worry I do it all the time."

Edward continued to look at me and shook his head. "No way, Bella. I'm not letting you walk home alone. Either I walk you, or you wait for the girls?"

_Ooh, interesting. Let Mr. Delicious walk you home again._

"I'm not waiting for them, and it's not fair to ask you again," I protested weakly. "Stay and enjoy yourself."

"You already know this isn't my scene, I was only here to spend more time with you. Come on, I'll take you home." He waited for me to finish the last of my beer, and then we said goodnight to Garrett and Emmett who were talking to two familiar looking girls.

I couldn't place their faces though and I had to ask, "Who were they?"

Edward glanced behind him as we walked away. "They're models, one of them is the face for Calvin Klein—she was in one of our videos. The other models lingerie I think." He laughed and then added, "If they're hoping to hook up with either of them they're shit out of luck. Emmett's only got eyes for one woman, and Garrett won't give them a second glance." He smirked as we made our way to the door.

Another perk of being with Edward was the alternate exit we were permitted to use to leave the club. We emerged on a side street away from any potential lurking paparazzi or drunken fans.

Florentino's was only a few blocks from my apartment so it wasn't going to be a long walk with him. I didn't say anything, I knew if I spoke he would look at me, and if he looked at me, I would attack him. And that was not really the best move to make on Edward Cullen in the middle of New York City on a busy Saturday night.

_Remind me why that is again?_

Like I suspected, far too quickly we arrived at my building. He walked me up to our apartment then we stopped. I sighed and turned to face him.

"At least I know there's no sordid scene waiting for me at home tonight. Thanks again, Edward, tonight was a lot of fun." I managed to control myself while I spoke which was good.

_No control is not good—attack him now._

"My pleasure, Bella, I had a great night too." He was looking at me again, not intensely like last night though. His eyes were unsure, like he wanted to say something else perhaps?

I looked up at him and smiled weakly. Then, a fraction of a second later, in a move that almost felt out of my control; I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him towards me, reaching up and kissing him at the same time. The initial fear of rejection evaporated as his hands snapped up to my waist and he kissed me back. I moved my hands up, knotted my fingers into his hair and pulled him closer. I could feel his stubble on my face and I could taste the beer on his tongue but I loved it. I loved it, loved it, fucking loved it!

"Are you coming inside?" I asked in-between kisses.

"If you don't mind."

So, I reached for my purse to grab my keys. Only, I didn't have my purse.

"Shit!" I pulled back, pushing Edward away slightly with one hand and rubbing my forehead with another. "I don't have my keys."

Edward stepped forward and rested his head on mine. "Where are they?"

"In my bag, locked up in Art's office. Bollocks." I growled in frustration. "Double bollocks, I'm locked out until Alice and Angela stroll home. My phone's in my bag and I can't remember their cell numbers. Shit."

Edward stepped back and pulled out his phone. "I'll ring Emmett, he might be able to find them and send them home now." He walked onto the street to make the call. When he returned he was frowning. "Em and Garrett left just after us and they're already on their way home. I tried Seth, but he has his cell switched off." He paused for a minute and then held the main door open. "Come on. You can wait at my apartment and I'll walk you home later."

I didn't really have a choice, sit on a cold floor all night waiting, knock on Jasper's door and risk his room-mate Mike being around or go back to Edward's apartment.

_Yay, let's go to the swanky apartment on Fifth and kiss Mr. Delicious all over again._

"Thank you, if you're sure you don't mind." I smiled as I walked towards him.

"I wouldn't have offered if I did." He walked close beside me as we set off to his apartment.

I had barely made it a block when I started to struggle. My feet were killing me and I needed to take my shoes off.

_Eww, no, not barefoot that's gross!_

Edward saw me wince as I walked and he took my arm. "Are you okay?"

"My feet are ready to detach themselves from my body. It's these ridiculous shoes Alice brought me to wear," I moaned sulkily. "She knows heels hate me."

"Want a ride?" His eyes lit up as he said it and he grinned.

_Oh shit yeah we do. __STRADDLE, STRADDLE, STRADDLE!_

The chanting in my head was so loud I was sure he would be able to hear it. "A ride?" I asked, and raised my eyebrows.

"Piggyback of course. Although I'm game if you are?" He winked and laughed loudly.

"That's an offer I can't refuse." I giggled and climbed onto his back, yanking my dress to keep it covering my bottom.

"Which offer would that be?" he teased.

"Oh I'm sure you'll find out later!"

Edward laughed again and we set off walking.

_Wow he feels good in-between your legs._

The streets in this neighbourhood were quiet compared with the rest of the city, but still, I worried someone would recognise him, so I buried my face in his neck. My arms were holding on tightly to his shoulders and my legs gripped around his flat as a board stomach. My feet, on the other hand were resting a little further south and boy did I like what I could feel.

Edward walked pretty fast and we reached his building quickly. As he carried me up the steps his door-man greeted him with a patronising smirk on his face. When we stopped I slid down his back carefully so my dress didn't rise up.

There were two elevators in the centre of the lobby, Edward pulled me towards them and pressed the call button. The doors to one opened and we stepped inside. He pressed for floor fifteen which had a little keyhole beside it, then he pushed a key into the lock and away we went. When it finally came to a stop the doors opened straight into his apartment.

Wow, it was a _really _nice place.

The entire apartment was decorated in varying shades of cream and white but it didn't look surgical or bland. The floors were a polished, marble effect in a sandstone colour. The wall on the right hand of the apartment was a long row of floor to ceiling windows. The only interruption was a stone-washed brick wall right in the centre; hung on this was a huge flat screen television. Positioned in front of the flat screen was an enormous and incredibly comfortable looking cornered couch. This was also white, but had a thick, dark blanket strewn over the back.

The kitchen was on the left hand side of the apartment, it was all open plan and the only seating area I could see was a breakfast bar which divided the kitchen from the lounge. The cabinets were white but the counters were black. It was sleek and full of fancy gadgets, half of which I had no idea what they were. I could see another room at the other end of the apartment but I didn't think he'd appreciate me snooping around just yet, so I followed him into the kitchen.

"Wow this is lovely," I said and noticed a pair of glass sliding doors, which led out onto a balcony. Unfortunately, the reflection from the kitchen light on the glass prevented me from seeing outside.

"Thanks. It's too bad I'm hardly here. Can I get you a drink?" He smiled and waited for me to answer.

"A glass of water please." I had to take off my shoes and I groaned in relief when my feet touched the cool floor.

"Are you feeling okay?" He handed over the water and looked down at me.

"I am now I've got these shoes off. I don't feel drunk anymore if that's what you're asking?" I laughed and took a drink of the water. "No vomiting I promise."

Edward laughed too, and we stood there silently for a minute. I didn't know what to do. I knew what I _wanted_ to do, but I probably shouldn't do it. I saw a photo on his fridge and moved to have a closer look.

"My parents, brother, and little sister," he answered before I even said anything, leaning closer to look at the photo.

"I could have guessed, you look just like your mother." I smiled up at him and I saw him move to step back.

In another bold move, I leaned up to kiss him again. Without my huge shoes I had to stand right on my tip-toes. Edward responded immediately and pulled me towards him.

_Boy, this guy can kiss._

I ran my hands up his neck and pulled on his hair, hearing him moan quietly. We continued kissing for a few minutes and inside my head was a war of words.

_If you sleep with him now, you'll never hear from him again. _My moral side argued.

But Inner-Bella wasn't going down without a fight. _Yes, but come on its Edward-freaking-Cullen, it's not as it you'll ever marry the bloke, so just shag his brains out and have some fun._

_Good Point. Go for it. _Even my moral side seemed to be embracing her inner-slut.

Edward pulled away and frowned at me. "You know this isn't why I walked you home or why I asked you up here? You do know that right?" He had my face in his hands and he was gazing straight at me.

I smiled and nodded, but in truth I wasn't sure if I believed him. Regardless of his intentions, this was something I wanted to do. Something I _needed_ to do. I kissed him again, pressing my body against his and I could feel his erection bulging on my hip.

_Ooh there it is! Oh my I can't wait to meet you Mr. D Junior. Come and say, hi, soon._

I started to walk us out of the kitchen, I had no idea where his bedroom was and luckily Edward took over. He moved us to the far end of the apartment and through a set of double-doors into his bedroom. He stopped when we were inside, so I pushed him back onto the bed and climbed on top of him. Of course that had proved too much for Inner-Bella and the last word I heard from her for a while was barely even a whisper.

_Finally!_

I kissed him again and his hands gripped the back of my legs. I fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and he chuckled quietly. "What happened to the ripping?"

I laughed shyly. "I wouldn't want to ruin your shirt."

Edward continued to run his hands up and down my legs and over my backside on top of my dress. After a few repetitions, he slid his hands under the fabric and hitched it up to my waist. I pulled his shirt open and ran my hands over his chest and stomach. His body was incredible, not too muscular but perfectly toned. After I'd ogled enough I dropped my hands to his trousers. I unbuckled his belt and opened the top button, I could feel he was straining against the material and I was dying to see him. Before I reached his zipper he sat me up on his lap and pulled the dress over my head. He looked at me for a few seconds, his tongue licking his lips like I was something to be devoured. I was just starting to feel self-conscious when he flipped me onto my back and ran his hands up and down my sides, skirting the edges of my breasts and underwear. I was about to combust with anticipation.

I let my fingers wander up and down his back as he kissed me again. I could have spent the entire night just kissing the guy, but when his mouth swept across my jaw and down to my throat, I realised I needed as much as I could get. His kisses left a trail of burning skin and my stomach clenched when his tongue flicked against one of my nipples.

I moaned loudly, shamefully loudly. It had been a while since I'd been in a situation remotely sexual, but I knew already it had never been quite like this. I squirmed beneath him, wanting more, but feeling like I'd explode if he continued. Edward slowly wandered down my body, dragging his lips lazily across my ribs and stomach, while his hands remained in place on my breasts, toying with my nipples. With a kiss on each hip, he sat up and studied my expression.

"Bella, are you sure..." His voice cracked as he spoke. "We don't have to do this."

"I do want this, Edward. You're not the only one who has been completely distracted all week. You're driving me crazy," I whispered and he nodded.

Still sitting up, he peeled my panties down my legs and threw them onto the floor. "You're perfect," he murmured and lowered himself back down. "So fucking perfect."

I was almost hyperventilating when he moved his face in between my legs, pushing them apart and placing a kiss right on my clit.

"God," I panted, insanely close to letting go already. The fact I was here, with Edward, like this, was simply blowing my mind.

His tongue swept up and down and when I arched my back, he slipped one arm around my back to hold me firmly in place on the bed. I couldn't keep still and I couldn't keep quiet. My moans got louder and louder and they seemed to spur Edward on even more. He toyed, teased, nibbled and sucked, and I didn't know how much more I could handle.

I propped myself up on my elbows, and the sight of Edward right...there...was divine. I could feel my climax building, and then Edward pushed a finger inside me. That was the most I could handle and I had the single most intense orgasm of my life. I flopped back onto the bed shouting something that I was sure didn't make sense in any language.

My body was shaking and my heart was beating so loudly, I was certain Edward had to be able to hear it. I tried sitting back up and pushing Edward over onto his back, but he had me caged on the bed. His hands were either side of my head and his face inches from mine. Rogue strands of his hair fell forward and tickled my forehead.

When he kissed me again, I shifted my hips, his dick pressing against my entrance. "Please, Edward," I said against his lips and then I felt him push his way inside.

I called out again as he stretched and filled me and I say again, never in my life had it felt _that _good.

"Fuck, Bella," he breathed. "You feel so fucking incredible."

I wrapped my legs around his waist and began to rock my hips with him. As he moved, I felt the tension build in my stomach again. My nails dug into his shoulders and he kissed me again, taking my bottom lip between his teeth.

"God damn," he panted, dropping his head to rest on my shoulder. "Never felt like this."

His breath against my skin, the feel of his body against mine, and my still sensitive state after the last time meant I was soon climaxing again. I called out Edward's name, and my legs squeezed him even tighter. Almost straight away his movements faltered and I felt him still inside me with one final push.

"Jesus, Bella. That was...fuck," he panted. His breaths were shaky and I could feel his body trembling. "After that, Bella, I may be here for a while. I don't think I have control of my legs anymore."

I giggled and he pressed his lips against my shoulder. "It was pretty amazing," I whispered.

"Pretty amazing?" he growled playfully. "I was looking for much more than that."

"Like, so fucking amazing, I doubt nothing I ever do could live up to my expectations again?" I teased.

"Much better," he agreed, and lifted his head to look at me. "I don't have to walk you home after that do I?"

"Um...I could call a cab," I told him.

_Is he really that eager to get rid of you?_

He frowned and shook his head. "That's not what I meant, Bella. I was hoping you'd want to spend the night with me?"

"Oh," I said. "Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure the girls are back now."

"I don't care if they are back. I don't want you to go home—please stay."

_Wow. _

"Sure, but you'd better not snore," I teased and he scoffed.

"Snore? Who said anything about sleeping?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Hope you liked it! I was weirdly nervous about posting that lemon! I've got a few more chapters so let me know when you want them! **

**More soon,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

****A/N This has been pre-read by Prettyflour but I have made changes to the chapter, so any mistakes belong to me! This is also slightly different to the original version.****

**Chapter 6 - The Morning After The Night Before**

**BPOV**

When I opened my eyes the next morning, it took me a few minutes to gather my bearings. After taking in the huge bed I was in, I looked around the unfamiliar bedroom. There was a wall of wardrobes on my right and a door beside them which I could see opened into a bathroom. On my left was another floor to ceiling window looking out onto Fifth Avenue. As I looked to my left realisation hit me.

"Oh shit, I wasn't dreaming," I muttered and then glanced quickly under the covers, "Crap, crap, I'm naked."

I slowly looked back over my shoulder and my stomach did back flips. There, lying next to me was Edward. He was still fast asleep and I just couldn't resist peeking under the covers.

_Oh yes, there he is indeed._

Grinning to myself, I suddenly panicked. Where were my clothes? I sat up slowly and looked around the bedroom floor. I could see my underwear on his side of the bed, and also his shirt and jeans but not my dress.

_Oh great, looks like you're walking down Fifth Avenue in nothing but last night's knickers._

I decided to loan his shirt while I went to the bathroom, so I slid carefully out of bed, and crawled around the bottom to grab my underwear and Edward's shirt. I threw them on and darted quickly to the bathroom. I washed my face and tried to detangle my hair with my fingers. Then I saw something in the mirror; my dress was hung up on the back of the bathroom door.

_Wow, he's sweet and thoughtful as well as being an absolute sex god._

I desperately wanted to brush my teeth, but I didn't want to freak the poor guy out by using his toothbrush, so I settled for rubbing a bit of toothpaste on my teeth and tongue. I wiped his sink down, turned to get my dress, and saw Edward standing in the doorway watching me. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Morning." He smiled, his hair was stuck flat to his head apart from a few tufts sticking up randomly and he had a slight dusting of stubble on his face. I smiled back and then noticed his bare-chest. I panicked again, had he put any clothes on?

_Dear God, please, please, please, let him be naked._

I glanced down quickly and caught a glimpse of his boxers. This man succeeded in looking smoking hot and sexy as hell the minute he rolls out of bed.

_No boxers allowed. Mr. Delicious should always be naked._

"Morning," I mumbled back, experiencing vivid flashbacks of the night before and almost cringing with embarrassment. Who was I last night? Not the usual Bella Swan that was for sure.

_Sex with Mr. Delicious, not once, but twice. Life just doesn't get any better than that._

I was waiting for him to start dropping hints about me leaving, when he stepped forward and lifted my chin with his finger to kiss me softly on the lips. I smiled up at him and walked into the bedroom.

Edward poked his head around the door. "I'll be right back, don't disappear. You can ring your friends if you like? My phones just on the bed. I'm sure they're wondering where you are."

I sat on his bed and picked up his phone. I sighed as I rang the apartment, because I knew exactly what reaction I was facing. Alice answered on the first ring.

"Hi, Alice, it's me," I said, nervously bracing myself for her response. Why was I acting so guilty?

"Oh, so you aren't lying dead in a morgue somewhere? Wow, Bella, don't you dare call _me_ a slut again. What did you get up to last night? Dare I even ask?" She was snickering down the phone, and once again I started with the vivid flashbacks.

"Not at this moment, no. I'm just getting dressed then I'll be home, half an hour tops. I left my purse at Arts last night, and I just wanted to let you know where I was, okay?"

"We'll be waiting for you. Oh, and, Bella, you aren't leaving a single detail out this time, girl."

After I hung up I started panicking again, I had no idea what to do or how to act around Edward. A few minutes later he appeared and sat beside me on the bed. He was still in nothing but his boxer shorts but he'd ruffled his hair spiky again. It was pathetic, but just his presence rendered me speechless.

_And as horny as a dog on heat!_

"Do you have to take off straight away?" he asked quietly, looking at me trying to gauge my reaction. I shook my head and played with the cuff on the sleeve of his shirt that I was still wearing.

"I'd like to hang out with you for a while—if you don't mind?"

"Why?" I asked before I even thought about it.

It was a valid question from my point of view. I wasn't anyone special. I was just a nanny, and not even a fancy magical nanny like Mary Poppins or Nanny McPhee. Why on earth would he want to spend time with me?

_Hopefully to participate in more straddling?_

"I leave for LA tomorrow; we're shooting a video and promoting the tour. I want to squeeze in as much time as I can with you today because I'll be gone for over a week. Did you think I was lying to you last night?" He frowned at me waiting for my answer.

_Wow, this guy could possibly be too good to be true._

"No, not lying just caught up in the moment maybe," I mumbled and looked up at him. "I didn't expect anything else from you, Edward."

"I was definitely caught up in the moment, but regardless of what happened last night, I would still want to spend the day with you today, Bella."

I stared right into his eyes and he never dropped his gaze. Either this guy was a fantastic liar or he was telling the truth. I suppose I would soon find out which.

"Shall we get some breakfast? There's this great little place I go to whenever I can. It's the best food in NYC." He grinned at me expectantly.

"Are you kidding me? I either go out in last night's dress with wild hair and look like a complete tramp, or I wear your shirt and a thong." I stared at him in disbelief.

Edward laughed and looked at me. "Mmm perhaps you're right, we definitely need to take this off." He kissed me softly and pushed me back onto the bed.

_Oh lord he we go again. That my friends is Round Three. Ding, ding._

Edward Cullen should come with a warning. That man was dangerous to my health. I swear I lost all capability of forming thoughts, sentences, or actions which didn't revolve around kissing him or touching him. His lips didn't leave mine as he unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it from my shoulders meaning I was as naked as a baby once again.

It wasn't as frantic as it had been last night. He slowly eased inside me, kissing my lips, jaw, and throat all the time. But, just because it was less frantic it certainly didn't make it any less intense.

I shouldn't have been here, but now that I was, I intended to savour every second.

_~x~_

Afterwards, I asked to take a shower. Edward rolled his eyes at me and said, "Please don't ask, Bella. While you're here do as you please." He pulled me along behind him to the bathroom, handed me a huge fluffy towel and turned the shower on. "Do you need anything else?"

I laughed. "Not unless you have a spare toothbrush?"

Edward chuckled and shook his head before closing the door so I could shower in peace. I appreciated the privacy, because my head was spinning. Of course I had to use his shower gel and shampoo, which instantly reminded me of his scent and that set me off into a whirl of fantasies.

_Scent, Bella? Mr. Delicious isn't a dog. Think, aroma, fragrance..._

When I was done I dried my hair with the towel as best I could and then used one of his combs to detangle it again. I twirled it up into a bun and wrapped the towel under my arms. A light knock at the door made me jump and I opened it carefully. Edward's hand appeared in the small gap clutching a toothbrush. I pulled the door open and smiled at him.

"It's for a child I'm afraid, but it was the only one the store had by the counter. I didn't want you to finish in the shower and think I'd disappeared on you. Is it okay?" He was grinning at me and thrust a pink fairy toothbrush towards me.

"It's perfect, thank you, Edward." I took it from him and stepped back to brush my teeth.

_He bought you a toothbrush—this man's sweetness knows no bounds._

I had to put last night's dress and underwear back on, along with those ridiculous shoes. Talk about making the walk of shame. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, Edward was sprawled on the bed.

"Breakfast?" He sat straight up and looked at me with excited eyes.

"I need to go home, Edward. I'm not going anywhere in this dress, I'll look like a complete tramp, but thanks for the offer," I told him, but this man was nearly as persistent as the girls.

"Please, Bella." His eyes sent me almost trancelike, and after a little coaxing, he had persuaded me to let him walk me home, get changed, and then go for breakfast.

As we were riding down the elevator, Edward had taken my hand and proceeded to keep it there after we had set off walking. I became very conscious that it was a busy Sunday afternoon, and there were plenty of people around who would certainly recognise him. I pulled away nervously. The last thing I wanted was for a fan to take a picture of him holding my hand in the middle of Fifth Avenue.

_**He** could see..._

To my amazement though, he completely fell under the radar. He did have a baseball cap pulled down low over his face, but to me it was still obvious it was him.

As we passed Art's on the way to my apartment, I called in to grab my bag. Art had already opened and looked at me in surprise. "Hey, Bella. What are you doing back already?" he asked in confusion. His eyebrows rose in accusation as he noticed last night's clothes and Edward stood behind me. "Ah, never mind."

"Art, she just left her bag here last night and was locked out of her apartment, that's all." Edward tried to protest on our behalf.

"Sure, sure, whatever man. I don't need to know the details," Art said with a grimace, and Edward just laughed.

I was dying of shame and mumbled a weak, "See you Tuesday," as I practically ran out of the bar.

When we arrived at my building, Edward held open the door for me.

"I'm impressed," I teased as I walked through.

Edward pouted. "I would have hoped you already were." Then he laughed loudly and I joined in, opening the door to my apartment and closing it behind him. "Don't be long, Bella, I'm wasting away here."

I started towards my bedroom, but was immediately flanked by two wide-eyed girls bursting with enthusiasm.

"Oh, good morning, Bella, nice of you to join us. That was quite a long half an hour," Alice retorted before turning her attention to Edward. "Good night last night, Edward?"

The poor guy looked terrified and I had to intercede. "Enough, Alice," I warned. "I'll be two minutes, Edward. I'll just go and get changed. Make yourself at home." I had to laugh as I saw him pull a face when I pointed to the couch.

As soon as I was in my bedroom I darted to the wardrobe and rummaged for something nice to wear. Of course Alice and Angela had followed me. They sat on my bed waiting, as I changed quickly into some three-quarter length white jeans and a yellow halter-neck top. Neither of them spoke, they just scrutinized my every move. I grabbed a thin jacket and pulled on my shoes, tidied my hair and put on some lip-gloss. As I made my move to leave, Alice sprang up and slammed the door shut.

"Oh no you don't, we want details, Bella." Alice glared. "What happened last night? Where is he taking you now? And more importantly how fantastic was he in bed?"

I sighed in frustration, I really didn't want to do this now, well not at all really, but they would never let me leave until I had given them something. I narrowed my eyes and said, "Fine, I'll give you a quick over-view. Basically, I left my bag at Art's last night and was locked out. I couldn't get in touch with you guys so I went back to Edward's place, and yes Alice I am a slut, yes it was good—fucking amazing actually, and now he's taking me to breakfast. Can I go please?" I begged.

"Wow, you slept with Edward Cullen—oh wow." Angela breathed, in almost a trance-like state.

"What exactly have you been doing this morning?" Alice asked me, although she had to know exactly what my answer would be.

"Well we...he ...we were um...busy," I mumbled as I was yet again embroiled in another vivid flashback.

"Wow, you slept with Edward Cullen again—oh wow." Angela was barely coherent.

I looked at her before adding, "Yep, Angela, I agree—wow. I'm having trouble believing it myself." Then I raced from the room.

Edward was still waiting by the door. "You could have sat down." I told him as I walked across the lounge.

"Well I was going to and then I remembered that two nights ago there was a man's bare ass pretty close to where my head would go so I decided against it." He laughed, "Ready?"

"Yep." I nodded. "Although, please don't feel obliged to ask me because of last night, Edward. I wouldn't be offended if you wanted to go with the guys or by yourself."

Edward sighed. "Look, like I said last night, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you to come. I spend most of my time holed up somewhere with the guys and I don't find myself such good company. Your company however, I do like—a lot. So let's go, otherwise I might collapse before we get there, I'm starving."

I called out, "Bye," to the girls and we walked back out into the street.

The weather outside was lovely again, although the bright sun almost felt like a spotlight on Edward and I, advertising him to the world.

The diner he took us to was a run down little place called Ma's. The lady behind the counter recognised him and greeted him like an old friend. Edward ordered a full English breakfast and then looked at me, waiting for my order. I suddenly had a bit of a moment, on one hand I was starving I hadn't eaten for a while, but on the other hand, I didn't want to eat a big platefull in front of Edward.

_Oh no, rolling around naked in bed together is fine, but eating breakfast would be embarrassing? What is wrong with you?_

I don't know how long I stood there deciding—it was clearly long enough for Edward to intercede. He chuckled and ordered me the same as him. We were shown to a booth in the corner of the diner and Edward took a seat on the bench beside me. After the waitress brought over the coffee Edward poured us both a cup. I couldn't stop myself from pulling a face as I took a sip.

"What?" he looked at me puzzled,

"Nothing, I don't really like coffee. I'll just ask for a coke," I said and started to get up. Edward put a hand on my shoulder and stood up himself.

"Sit. I'll go grab you one." I watched him walk over to the counter to get my drink.

_Hard to imagine, but that arse looks even better up close and personal. Go on think about last night again and then think about this morning. Such fantastic memories._

Edward was back quickly and put a drink in front of me. "So you don't like coffee?"

"Not regular coffee. I can drink Latté's and cappuccino occasionally, but the rest of the stuff I don't touch," I informed him. "I love the smell, it's just the taste I can't stand."

Edward laughed at my ludicrous statement. "Fair enough, that's good to know."

Our breakfasts arrived a few minutes later, Edward moved to sit opposite me and I'm glad he did. The plate was huge. It was filled with bacon, sausage, egg, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns and more. It looked amazing and I dove straight in. We didn't speak much while we ate and I had soon polished off every last morsel on my plate. It was the best breakfast I'd had since I was in England.

"Wow, that was superb." I looked at Edward who was staring at my empty plate in astonishment. I frowned at him and tried to defend myself. "What? I haven't eaten since yesterday lunchtime."

Edward smiled. "That's pretty impressive, Bella, even I struggled towards the end." He leaned back against the booth and stared at me.

"I hope you saved some room for dessert?" I teased feeling extremely mischievous and daring. My behaviour was completely out of character.

_Wow, get you being all seductive. Nice._

"Dessert? What's for dessert?" Edward asked, looking around him in confusion.

"Whatever you like," I whispered. I rubbed my foot against his leg and winked. Seriously, I was impressing myself with my behaviour.

Edward's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened, I think I heard the tiniest moan escape his throat before he stood quickly and dropped some money on the table. "Let's go," he growled in my ear and off we went.

We practically ran back to his apartment and the moment the elevator doors closed I assaulted him. I don't know what had come over me. I had never been this forward before. I grabbed his neck and pulled us up against the wall of the elevator. Edward chuckled against my lips but didn't try to stop. When the doors opened to his apartment he grabbed the tops of my legs and lifted me up. I wrapped myself around him and he carried us straight into the bedroom.

_Ding, ding, Round four._

_~x~_

After the best dessert known to man, Edward had nuzzled against my neck and laughed. "I certainly prefer that to cheese-cake or ice cream."

"Somehow, I don't think that dish will make it onto many menus. It might make some of the other customers a little uncomfortable." I giggled and tried to squirm away as he rubbed his stubble against my neck.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. We'll just have to save that for take-out and home-cooked meals." He rolled back on his pillow still laughing.

_Did you hear that? He's talking about the future and you're there with him._

Once again I felt very aware of the fact I was naked, in bed with Edward Cullen. Was all of this even real? My behaviour this weekend had been so out of character. I was usually so reserved; a square, Alice had often called me—even though it was with good reason. This man, however, seemed to unlock all my inhibitions and I loved it. Needing the bathroom, I sat up, pulling the sheet with me.

"Going somewhere?" Edward murmured as he sat up beside me and kissed my shoulder softly. Almost setting off my inner-animal again.

"Just to the bathroom, could you pass me my clothes please? They always seem to end up on your side of the bed."

Edward chuckled darkly. "Absolutely not. I quite like this look on you."

I rolled my eyes. There was no way I was getting up and walking butt-naked to his bathroom in the middle of the day. I wasn't _that _comfortable yet. "Fair enough, you either pass me something to wear or I _will_ pee in your bed."

"Very classy." He grinned sexily but rolled to his side and reached over the bed, fishing around for clothes. I was left with a rather nice view of his sexy backside.

_Stroke it, squeeze it, rub it, slap it, kiss it, bite it..._

Interrupting my leering Edward rolled back over and handed me his t-shirt.

"This or nothing, I noticed this morning how much better you look in my clothes than I ever could." He lay back on his pillow with his arms behind his head.

_My god even his underarm hair is sexy._

Wow, there was something seriously wrong with that.

I pulled the t-shirt on still clutching the sheet close to me. I wrestled it down as far as I could and climbed out of the bed. I sighed as I realised it barely covered my backside. I saw him look me up and down.

"See? Definitely better on you." Edward smirked as I padded to the bathroom.

Once inside I started having another moment. I sat down on the toilet and tried to calm myself down. I, Isabella Swan, was sitting in Edward Cullen's swanky apartment wearing nothing but his t-shirt, after spending the best part of twelve hours in bed with the man himself. I certainly had the luck of the Gods with me and decided I should play the lottery while I was on a roll.

Unfortunately, my moment had lasted a lot longer than I hintended and twenty minutes later I was still sitting there practising my deep breathing. After deciding it was a hopeless cause, I freshened myself up and opened the bathroom door. Edward wasn't on the bed, nor was he anywhere in the room. I saw my clothes on his bed so I dressed and wandered out of the bedroom. I couldn't see him anywhere.

"Where the bloody hell has he gone?" I muttered to myself.

After about five minutes the pessismist in me had me convinced that he had left in the hope I wouldn't be here when he got back. I grabbed my jacket and shoes and walked to the elevator. I presumed the key was only needed to get up to his floor and not to get down to the lobby. I pressed the button and waited. When the doors opened I stepped forward and almost ran straight into Edward. He was holding two polystyrene cups, and had a grin on his face which quickly turned into a frown when he saw I'd been trying to get on the elevator.

"Were you leaving?" he asked quietly,

"I...um...I didn't know where you were and I thought that you might have wanted me to go home and give you some time to yourself," I mumbled and fidgeted nervously with the buttons on my jacket.

Edward looked at me in disbelief. "Of course I didn't want you to leave, Bella. I called out and said I needed a coffee, I thought you'd heard me. I didn't get much sleep last night, remember?" He laughed and walked into the apartment. "I got you a Latté." He held out a cup to me.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to outstay my welcome, you know?"

He tipped my chin up and kissed me softly. "I don't think that's possible. You're great company, Bella. I'm having a lot of fun with you."

"I'm having fun with you too. Thanks for the drink," I said, unable to keep the smile from my face. I followed him over to the couch and sat down taking a sip of my latte which tasted wonderful. "Wow, this is really good. Where's it from?"

"A kiosk just outside." He was sitting close beside me, and rested one hand on my leg. "Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"

I laughed. "Not unless being tortured for information by my roommates counts as a plan? They were spitting feathers when I left earlier."

"Yeah, I expect I'll get that from the guys on the flight to LA tomorrow." Edward laughed too. "So, if you don't have anything better to do, do you feel like hanging out with me for the afternoon?"

"Hanging out? What did you have in mind?" I clarified, not sure if he was just after round...God knows what we were up to by now...or if he wanted to do something else.

"Well I do have something I'd quite like to do. Unless there's somewhere else you'd rather go?" His eyes were twinkling mischievously.

"I'll leave it to you Edward. I'm not the superstar who'll be trying to fly under the radar." I grinned at him, taking another drink, this stuff was good and after last night I certainly needed the caffeine.

"Good point, but famous or not, if I was with you I'd never fly under the radar. Too many people notice you wherever you go." He winked and nudged me with his shoulder.

"Wow, Edward, very smooth. You know all the good lines don't you?" I rolled my eyes and giggled at him. But his words sent a chill through me, I had to fly under the radar, my life here in New York depended on exactly that.

"No line, Bella, I'm just being honest." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, if it's up to me, then I know the perfect place we can go. Come on." Edward jumped up and grabbed my hand pulling me up at the same time.

As I stood up he kissed me and didn't stop for a few minutes. I could taste the coffee on his lips and feel his stubble tickling my chin.

When he did finally move away, he licked his lips and murmured, "Mmmm, those Latte's do taste good." He didn't let go of my hand and walked us over to the elevator.

On the way down he kissed me again and I nearly asked if we could skip going out and just go back upstairs.

I couldn't grasp what this guy was thinking. I had assumed that all the flirting he had done over the past week was just a bit of fun, and the moment we'd woken up this morning, that would have been that. But it seemed as though he did want to spend more time with me. If this was just sex then surely we would never have left his apartment? Trying to fathom what was happening was slowly sending me out of my mind.

**Wow thanks for your amazing reviews - you made the prospect of turning twenty-eleven much easier to face haga!**

**More tomorrow :) **

**Katy**

**xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Preread by Prettyflour but all mistakes are mine :D **

**Chapter 7 – Do I Ever Get To Hear It?**

**BPOV**

Edward continued to hold my hand as we stepped outside and once again I pulled away. I saw him frown and I smiled apologetically-I couldn't even begin to explain to him my motives, not yet. We walked a few blocks into a neighbourhood I was unfamiliar with. It was a really hot and sunny day with little in the way of a breeze so the humidity was high and I was starting to feel beads of sweat appearing on my neck and chest.

_Great, he'll think you have a perspiration problem and rename you Sweaty Betty if you don't cool down soon._

We stopped at a quaint little café. Inside there was a small counter and a large fridge containing row upon row of delicious looking ice-creams. Overhanging the counter was a red and white decorative awning. It reminded me of the old-fashioned Ice Cream Parlours you found at some coastal resorts in England. There was a row of about four booths on the back wall of the room and a few small round tables with lattice backed chairs in the middle of the floor. The tablecloths all matched the colours of the awning. There were a few people sitting inside, but no one turned to look at us when we entered. Standing behind the counter was a largely set elderly lady. She had her silver hair tied back in a tight bun on top of her head and wore a typical frill apron atop her white kitchen coat. As soon as she recognised Edward she broke into a welcoming smile.

"Edward, how nice to see you, my lovely." Her accent took me by surprise, she was from England, south-west England I was sure.

"Hi, Mrs. Wells. I was desperate for a fix of your ice-cream," Edward answered politely, and approached the counter.

I was still drooling over the selection of ice-creams and heard Edward chuckle as he saw my expression. He took my hand and smiled. "Just wait until you taste it. Honestly, Bella, it's out of this world."

_Oh, we've already tasted something that is out of this world Mr. D._

"Mrs. Wells, this is Bella. Bella, meet Mrs. Wells, she and her husband make the best ice-cream you will ever have." Edward turned back to Mrs. Wells and I held my hand out politely.

"Nice to meet you. It all looks delicious."

The old woman smiled at me kindly. "Pleasure, Bella, my dear. I always told Edward to hurry up and find himself a nice girl. Where are you from?"

"A village not too far from London," I replied.

"Technically though Bella's a fellow American. She was born in the states," Edward added smugly.

"Born in the US, raised in England and now back again. May I ask what brought you back?" Mrs. Wells looked at Edward's hand holding mine. "Or should I say who?" she added smiling widely.

"I went to live with my father in Seattle when I was nineteen, after my mother died."

"Oh, I am sorry, dear. Still, New York's a long way from Seattle. Why the move here?" Mrs. Wells was now bordering on prying and it bothered me.

"It's a long story," I answered quietly.

Mrs. Wells seemed to sense my annoyance and apologised quickly before asking us for our order.

"The usual, please," Edward promptly responded with a huge grin on his face.

"Chocolate for me, please." I smiled politely.

"Go and sit down and I'll bring them over." Mrs. Wells shooed us away and Edward pulled me to one of the booths and he sat down opposite me.

"So, do I ever get to hear it?" he asked quietly, looking at me intensely.

"Hear what?" I asked.

"The long story. I'm curious." He reached forward to hold my hands which were clasped in front of me.

"Even before we lost Mum, I was having a bad time in England. I thought moving to Seattle would be enough to move on from all that, but I was wrong. So when things took a turn for the worse, I decided to make a fresh start somewhere different. Alice insisted on coming with me and we moved here about two years ago." I took a deep breath, this was barely even a scratch on the surface but that was all he needed to know.

Edward smiled wryly. "I get the feeling that's an edited version."

I couldn't help but smile. "Yep, I'm afraid so."

"Any idea when the extended cut's available?" He laughed quietly and squeezed my hands.

"I'm afraid that's not on general release yet." I looked down from his gaze. I never spoke about this to anyone. "Edward, I'm sorry to be weird. I just hate talking about this. I never do."

Edward smiled warmly. "Say no more, Bella. Whenever you want to tell me, I'll listen."

_NEVER TELL HIM!_ Inner-Bella roared in my ears.

"Thanks, Edward." I felt uncomfortable and tried to change the subject. "So the ice-cream is really good, eh?"

Edward nodded dramatically. "Jesus yeah! Just wait and see."

A few minutes later Mrs. Wells appeared with two tall dishes, each one piled high with ice-cream, wafer, sprinkles and sauce. She sat them down on our table and walked away with a kind smile.

I looked at Edward's dish which resembled a rainbow. "What have you got?"

"Mint choc chip, sherbet lemon, raspberry and chocolate." He started shovelling the ice-cream into his mouth like he hadn't been fed in a month.

"Wow. That's quite a combination." I put a spoonful of the chocolate into my mouth and almost groaned with pleasure. Edward was right, without a shadow of a doubt this was the best ice-cream I had ever tasted. It was creamy, velvety and so, so chocolaty.

As soon as he saw my expression Edward laughed. "See I told you. It's all home-made. I could keep eating it until I threw up." I barely caught a word as he still had a mouthful of ice-cream.

When I had finished I seriously contemplated licking the dish but given the company I decided against it. Edward was grinning from ear to ear and smacking his lips in satisfaction. Mrs. Wells re-appeared and pulled a chair up to the booth;

"Do you mind?" she asked, although she was already sitting down.

_Yes we mind, bugger off you old bird._

"No, of course not." I ignored Inner-Bella and smiled politely as Mrs. Wells asked Edward how long he was in the city.

"I fly back to LA tomorrow morning and I'll probably be gone for a week. We've got a video to shoot and a few other things to take care of." He smiled at her but his eyes kept flashing towards mine.

I realised I had never paid much attention to just how unique the colour was, it was always too dark in the bar and the only other time I was close enough to see, I was somewhat pre-occupied. They were the most incredible green I'd ever seen and they were mesmerizing me. I forced myself to look away; I'd been gawking at his eyes and had paid no attention to what he was talking about.

"Well make sure you come back soon, Edward. Are you accompanying him, Dear?" Mrs. Wells asked me. Once again it felt like she was prodding at me for information.

"No, no. We just met. I don't think it would be a good idea if I stalked him across the country just yet." I laughed feeling a little flustered. I had definitely not acted cool.

_Ooh, following Mr. Delicious to LA sounds good to me._

"Oh, I see. Well I shall leave you two in peace. Give my love to the other boys, Edward, won't you?" Edward nodded at her as she walked away.

"I have to bring Angela and Alice back here. I can't believe people don't scream about the place. How did you find it?" I sat back against the booth, feeling a little tired.

"Completely by accident about three years ago. We were being followed by some paparazzi after an album signing and we hid in here. Every time I'm back in the city I try to grab another fix." Edward shifted to his left and shuffled down in the seat. I jumped when his feet appeared on the seat either side of me. Seeing my reaction he asked, "Do you mind?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. I can't imagine what that must be like. People following you around and plastering photos of you all over the place. I couldn't think of anything worse. I honestly don't know how you put up with it."

Edward just shrugged. "It can get a bit old, and it's a lot worse when we're all together. Emmett gets the worst end of the deal. But to be honest, if you really want to stay hidden it's possible. That's why I got to places like Art's, Ma's and here. They aren't exactly the usual celebrity haunts."

I had to grin as he used the air quotations on the word celebrity.

"At the end of the day if you drive a flashy car and wear sunglasses on a rainy day then people are going to notice you." He paused for a minute, studying my face. "Is that why you wouldn't hold my hand outside?"

I had not been expecting that question and it took me a minute to answer, "I'm sorry, Edward. I wasn't trying to shun you or anything. It's just that...I just..." I couldn't explain myself. I wasn't ready to talk about this.

Edward interrupted me quickly, "It's fine, Bella. I understand completely. No P.D.A—got it." He winked and tapped the side of his head. "I'm relieved that's the reason actually. I thought that you might have been trying to drop me a hint."

I rolled my eyes. "You're absolutely right, Edward, if I wanted you to bugger off and leave me alone, the way to do that would be to spend hours in your bed with no clothes on, let you take me out to breakfast and come with you to this place and then hope you would get the hint when I didn't hold your hand in public." I shook my head in disbelief, unsure if he was actually being serious. If he was then the guy had worse self-esteem problems than I did.

"I see your point. It's just you're difficult to read, I can't always tell what you're thinking and I'm not used to that."I saw him smile shyly. "Do you want some more ice cream?" His eyes were so eager that I had to laugh, like a child in a sweetshop—well I suppose he was.

"God no, if I ate much more I think I'd get stuck behind the table." I grinned at him, "But please go ahead."

Edward called out to Mrs. Wells who promptly returned with another huge portion of ice-cream. While he was stuffing his face he had asked me about my life in England and Seattle. It wasn't something I particularly like talking about but I didn't want to seem evasive.

"My mum and step-father ran a pub called The George and Dragon. I always flew over to Washington every school holiday. That's how I met Alice. She lived in the same building as my father. I moved here after Mum died, about six years ago now." I paused as I felt that familiar lump form in my throat. It didn't matter how much time passed it was still raw. I'd never dealt with the grief. I'd packed up and flown out to Seattle straight after the funeral.

Edward reached over and put his hand on top of mine. "Sorry, Bella. We don't have to talk about it," he murmured softly.

"It's fine." I smiled weakly and shook my head. "After she died, I decided I needed a fresh start and moved to the States with Dad. He owns a Pharmaceutical Company and he got me a job as a PA to one of his sales directors. Alice and I were inseparable and after a few years we rented an apartment together with two other girls. It was great." I hesitated, editing my story for his benefit and my own. "We moved to New York about two years ago and met Angela on the bus. She had just graduated from Nursing School and wanted to live here in the city. Of course Alice was adamant we live on the Upper East Side and she figured if we all pooled together we could afford a decent apartment. We do manage; it would be nice to have a building where the main door actually locks but I love it all the same."

Just skimming over the edges of my life brought back horrible memories and I shifted in my seat. I could feel the panic rising through me and I hoped Edward wouldn't notice as I concentrated on getting my breathing back to a steady rate.

Clearly he saw something, he was scrutinizing my face for a minute or so, trying to fathom my expression, or understand the holes in my story. "It must be hard though, working all those hours. Not getting much time to yourself to kick back and relax."

I shrugged, forcing myself to hold his eye. "It's not usually a big deal. The bar's a fun place to work. Alice and Angela stop by and we try to go out afterwards. As you know _they_ certainly do know how to kick back." I smiled at him and his lips curled up.

"They're not the only ones. You certainly surprised me last night." His eyes had a wicked glint in them; clearly he was having a flash back of some kind.

_Let's have no more flashbacks. Just repeat performances_

In the hope of shifting the conversation away from me I asked about his family.

"My mother, Esme, used to be a music teacher at a school here in the city. When she was younger she played piano in a hotel bar and that's how she met my father, Carlisle. He used to be a cardio-thoracic surgeon until a few years back. Emmett is the eldest, he'll be twenty-nine in a few months, then comes me, and of course my baby sister, Caitlyn. She'll be thirteen in September." Edward's face broke out into a beaming smile at the mention of his sister.

"Have you always been into music?" I was enthralled. I sat forward with my hands on my chin, hanging on his every word. Ironic, considering that was the thing I told him I would never do, the night we first met.

Edward nodded. "Emmett and I always goofed about with guitars, drums and any instruments Mom would have kicking about the house. We formed a 'band' with Seth in high-school. After Emmett met Garrett in college, we took things a bit more seriously and we got signed about eight years ago." He grinned. "We thought we were the luckiest guys on the planet. Of course, we were in for a big shock when we realised how much hard work it was going to be. But we released out first album later that year and we've never looked back."

I smiled. Ever since High-School he'd lived this life. "So that makes you what twenty-five, twenty-six?" I wondered aloud.

"Twenty-seven in a few weeks. This will be the first birthday I've had in the city for four years."

Our worlds were so far apart. Sitting opposite me was a man who had countless screaming fans and got to travel the world, living his life in the constant glare. I, on the other hand, had been trying to hide away for as long as I could remember, never wanting to draw attention to myself.

What on earth was I doing? This was such a bad idea; dangerous, terrifying even. But I couldn't be the one to say no. I was having way too much fun. I couldn't remember ever feeling like this. I almost felt free; I forgot about being scared and cautious and just enjoyed the moment.

"Where did you spend your other birthdays then?" I was genuinely interested, his life seemed so surreal.

"My twenty-third birthday was in Singapore, the year after that was Madrid, and the last two years have been in London. I love that city, we all do. I always look forward to going back." He reflected.

"Of course, I forgot you had a weakness for the accent," I teased, nudging his feet beside me with my elbow.

"If you must know, that's a recent development," Edward said and winked at the same time.

Literally, every mannerism of his sent me into a tailspin. I needed to get a hold of myself or I'd end up getting arrested for lewd conduct in a public place.

_Lewd conduct? Yes please._

We spent the next half hour discussing music. My music choices predominantly.

"My family was golden oldies through and through. I grew up more or less out of touch with modern music. Anything from the sixties, seventies and eighties I could sing along to. My mothers absolute favourite was Dusty Springfield. I still can't listen to any of her music. We played _'I just don't know what to do with myself'_ at her funeral." I had to fight back the tears again.

_Here you go again, bumming yourself out. Change the subject before he thinks you need counselling._

Edward was looking at me, his eyes soft and interested. "How did she die?"

This question made my chest ache. The truth was she died because of me; end of story. But I couldn't actually say that to him, so I gave him the simplest answer, "A car accident."

"I'm sorry. Was your mother an influence in your film choices too? What's your favourite?" Edward changed the subject but not in a dismissive way.

"Mum and Phil ran a pub so that was where the music influence came. I educated myself in films. As for a favourite though I don't think I could narrow it down to less than five."

"Go on then, top five?" he looked at me expectantly. "But you can't include, Pretty Woman, Ghost, Grease or Dirty Dancing."

I chuckled. "That's not fair you know? It's discrimination against chick flicks. None-the-less, it's irrelevant, none of those are in my top five."

We discussed film choices for a few minutes, and then once again I tried to steer the conversation back onto him. He fascinated me.

"So what do you like to do when you're not off gallivanting around the world?" I was curious to know what he did to keep his grip on reality. Clearly there was nothing typically celebrity about the man sitting here with me. It was impressive actually.

_That's not the only pretty impressive thing about him._

"Apart from beer, breakfasts, and ice cream do you mean?" He laughed, moving his legs down and sitting forward against the table, "I'm just a typical guy I'm afraid. There's never much on my TV apart from sports. Basketball, football, baseball, hockey and anything else that's going."

I frowned at him. "When you say football...?"

"American Football, not English. Soccer you'd call it over here. Actually, I'm a soccer fan too. So are you a sports girl?" Edward did seem enthralled in our conversation and his eyes were twinkling like he was enjoying himself. It left me baffled, yet smiling at the same time.

"I don't hate it. My father used to take me to watch the Seahawks in Seattle when I came to visit, but to be honest I never understood all the rules. He tried to educate me but I don't remember much." I glanced at Edward's watch, it was almost five o'clock. The afternoon had flown by. Edward noticed too and made a move.

"Ready to go?" he asked as he stood.

"Yes, but could I ask something?" I stood and moved out of the booth.

"Yeah sure what?" I could see him rummaging in his pocket to pay.

"Can I pay please?" I saw his hand still in his pocket and he frowned at me. "You've paid for everything since last night."

Edward shrugged and looked bemused. "So? You can barely afford to eat because your rent is so high remember?" He nudged me playfully as we walked over to the counter.

"It doesn't matter. I want to pay. Otherwise I'll go home in a stinking bad mood and Alice will hunt you down for pissing me off. Trust me, you _really _don't want to get on the wrong side of her," I teased.

"Well in that case I'll let you pay on _this_ occasion. I don't want to piss you off and I certainly don't want to get on the wrong side of your friend. She might not let me see you again." He put his hand on my back and walked me over to the counter.

I pulled out some money and handed it over to Mrs. Wells, she was still smiling. "Thank you, dear, it was lovely to meet you. Hopefully I'll see you again soon," She turned to Edward, "Have a safe trip, Edward. Pop back soon."

Edward looked at her and grinned. "Of course I will, you know how I need my fix." Once we were outside, he didn't try to take my hand again. Instead he just walked closely beside me. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite as invisible now and several people had glanced at him and gawked. One woman in particular had been too busy watching Edward that she walked into a lamppost.

"Em has it twice as bad as us. He hardly gets any peace." Edward laughed as the woman stalked off trying to act as if nothing had happened. "Will you come back to mine? There's a Rangers game on tonight, a play off. I can explain the rules?"

"Rangers? That's hockey right?" I clarified uncertainly.

He rolled his eyes at me and nodded. "Do you watch any sports?"

"Some, Alice's a Knicks fan and Angela's brother plays for a team in the NFL, so we have to watch the games he plays."

Edward's eyes widened excitedly. "NFL? Who?"

"Um, his names Tyler, and he plays for...um..." I racked my brain trying to think, "I want to say the 49ers but I'm not sure."

Edward nodded eagerly. "49ers are NFL." He started to reel off a few statistics from last year and I tried to look enthusiastic as he spoke. "Do you want to grab some dinner before the game?"

I shook my head. "I'm not even close to hungry. Why do you?"

"No, we can just order a pizza later." We walked into his building and were greeted by the same doorman as last night.

"Good Evening, Mr. Cullen." I saw him cast a glance in my direction, he obviously recognised me as the girl Edward brought home last night. Hopefully, his lasting impression wouldn't be that I was some cheap floozy.

He continued to stare at me and I saw Edward glare at him before taking my hand and pulling me towards this elevator. He was still scowling at him as the doors closed. "See what I mean? You never fly under the radar."

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading, reviewing, & alerting. I hope you liked it! **

**If you want to join my group on Facebook - MrsK81 Fic, just let me know your user name and I'll add you! **

**More tomorrow :D**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading. I have made some changes to the chapter, so any mistakes are mine!**

**Chapter 8 - Don't Get Carried Away **

**BPOV**

As the elevator stopped at his floor, Edward's phone rang. He pulled it out and answered, "What's up Seth?" He kept my hand in his and walked us into the kitchen. "No, I'm with Bella, so I'm just gonna catch the game here. No man, you can't come over."

Not wanting to listen in on his conversation, I drifted over to look at his balcony. It wasn't large; but there was just enough room for a small table, two chairs and two sun loungers. There were a few potted plants on the decking and a wall with ornate carvings on the top acting as the barrier. The view was spectacular and looked out on to the sailing pond in Central Park. I didn't even like to think how much he was paying to see that every morning.

I heard Edward walk up behind me, so I turned to face him. "You know if you want to go and watch the game with the guys, I-" I started to say but Edward quickly cut me off.

"I'm going to be spending all next week with the guys, Bella. Besides, you need a football tutorial don't you?" Edward put his hand on my shoulder. "Seth only wanted to invite himself because he knew you were here. He's an ass and would have spent the entire game goofing around telling you stories about me."

"Maybe I'd like to hear those stories," I said and then couldn't stop myself from yawning. Last night was starting to catch up on me big time.

"Tired? Or am I boring you?" Edward chuckled.

I pretended to debate that for a minute and then laughed as his face fell slightly. "Just kidding. I'm definitely tired. I'm not used to surviving on four hours sleep, regardless of who, or what, was responsible for keeping me up all night."

"I distinctly remember you assaulting me on more than one occasion. I was trying to be a gentleman." Edward smiled. "Are you working tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I have to be there for seven." I pulled a face. "The early mornings drive me mad."

"The family you work for, they live on Central Park West right?" Edward asked. I was surprised he even remembered.

"Yeah, they converted an old bed and breakfast. It's really nice, in fact with their house and your place. My little apartment is going to have some inadequacy issues," I teased.

"Is it a nice building? Apart from the unlocking door and faulty buzzers?"

I laughed. "For the most part. The neighbours are cool. I'm sure if we lived in another part of the city we could get something nicer for what we pay now. Alice and Angela won't budge though."

Edward nodded. "How do you get to work? Do you have a car?"

I shook my head. "Are you kidding? I never drive over here, traffic in the city is crazy. You guys all drive on the wrong side of the road. I usually go for a run in the park before and after work. I don't get much chance to exercise otherwise." .

"I suppose _you_ would see it like that. I will just say, we drive on the _right _side of the road in this country. I do agree with you about traffic in the city though. I avoid driving where possible."

This man kept surprising me. if I didn't know who Edward Cullen did for a living, I would never have put him as a celebrity. He was too normal. "Do you not drive then?"

"Oh, I love cars and I love driving, but just not here. When I moved into this place I was so close to everything I never used my car. It seemed like a waste to have it sitting around, so I had it shipped to my parents' house. If I need to go any further than Manhattan, I either borrow Em's, or hire a rental. Hey, I'm grabbing a beer. Do you want something to drink?" He turned and walked over to the fridge.

"What do you have?" I asked following him.

Edward grimaced apologetically. "Not much to be honest. Beer, coffee, water, and juice...but that has been here for a while so I suspect it won't taste great."

"Beer it is then," I said. "Thanks."

Edward handed me a bottle and grabbed one for himself. We moved back over to the doors to his balcony. "Want to have a look outside?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yeah, sure." The view seemed even more magnificent once we were outside. "Wow, this is great." I walked over to the wall and gazed at Central Park. "I bet it's really something out here at night."

Edward stood behind me; his arms stretched either side of me on the wall. He leaned and rested his head on my shoulder softly. "Mm hm, I sit out here for hours."

I turned my head towards his and kissed his cheek. This time he assaulted me; he straightened up and spun me round to face him. Bending forward and kissing me, his hands slid to my back and pulled me into him.

"How much time do we have before the game?" I murmured as he kissed my neck softly.

"That depends on what you had in mind." He chuckled against my skin. "What were you planning exactly?"

I giggled. "Oh I think you know, but we might miss the start?" I looked at him innocently, fiddling with the draw strings on his sweater.

Edward picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. "Fuck the game," he growled and carried me back into the kitchen. We didn't get very far when his phone started to ring.

"Ignore it," I whispered.

"I have no intention of answering it." Edward continued to kiss me but we were still standing in the middle of his kitchen.

Unfortunately, whoever was calling had no intention of stopping and his phone rang and rang. Even after it had kicked to voice mail, the person just re-dialled and rang again and again.

"Damn it," Edward muttered and put me down on the counter, fumbling in his pocket for his phone. He answered it and snapped down the line, "Hello?"

I saw his shoulders drop and could hear a woman's voice on the other end of the line. I listened discreetly.

"Sorry, Mom. No I'm fine, I was just...I couldn't find my phone. Something wrong?" Edward leaned forward and kissed me silently, mouthing the word, "Sorry." I laughed quietly and slid off the counter. I tried to move away but he wouldn't let me by.

"Yeah, we're going straight to meet them when we land."

I started to feel mischievous again and began to open his belt buckle and the buttons on his jeans. Edward tried to stop me, but he was still holding the phone to his ear with one hand. I pushed him around against the counter and dropped to my knees. As I wriggled his jeans down I heard him whisper, "Shit". Clearly his mother heard him.

"No I...um...just dropped something sorry, Mom. What did you say again?" he started to talk again, but he cut off sharply as I leaned forward and drew my tongue up his shaft in one slow, broad stroke.

I could see he was struggling to keep his attention on the phone call, and he tried desperately to say goodbye to his mother. I teased him with my tongue for a minute, and then took him fully in my mouth. I heard the strangled groan escape his throat as I grazed my teeth against his skin, and I smirked—loving the effect I was having on him.

"No...I'm fine, Mom, really. Um...I'll see you tomorrow...I have to go...love you, bye." He dropped the phone and tugged me to my feet. "Up," he commanded, and lifted me back onto the counter. Without a word he removed my pants and pushed into me right there.

_Ah, we love the sex._

He was intense, rough, and seemingly as hungry for this as I was. It didn't take long for us both to come undone, and I was quickly realising that with Edward, each time was definitely going to be better than the last.

As we caught our breath afterwards, Edward rested his head on mine. "I cannot believe you did that. I think my mom thought I was high."

"I thought it would be fun. Sorry. Never again, I promise." I laughed, my arms holding onto his, and my legs still wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Now, that's not what I meant," he said. "Just maybe give me some warning next time."

_Wow, next time? That means he wants to see you again. Nice move, Bella, you're getting your claws dug in._

"Where would the fun be in that, Edward?" I kissed him and tried to move. "Look, just in time for the game." I nodded towards his television.

"I meant what I said earlier, Bella, fuck the game." But he couldn't resist a glance towards it.

"Go and watch it. I need to go to the bathroom." I jumped down and pulled my clothes on quickly before pushing him towards the couch. I chuckled as I skipped to his bathroom to clean up.

When I walked back into the lounge I found him still standing in front of the television. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was totally immersed. I doubted he even realised I was back.

I sat down on the couch. "Rangers doing okay?"

Edward turned and smiled before coming to sit beside me. "Yeah so far so good." He put his arm around me and shuffled in closer to me. "I suppose I'd better start with the tutorial."

_Wow he's a cuddler. More please._

I relaxed against him. "It doesn't matter, Edward, I'm too tired to take anything in."

I don't know how long it took me but I had fallen asleep snuggled up against him. When I woke up I was in exactly the same position. Edward's right arm was still wrapped around me and his left was playing absently with one of the charms on my bracelet. His legs were stretched out over the corner end of the couch. I cringed as I felt the corner of my mouth was wet.

_No, please tell me you didn't drool on Mr. Delicious. That's what slobbering dogs do._

I lifted my head and stretched out my arms and legs, peeking quickly to make sure I hadn't left a huge wet patch on his top. Luckily I couldn't see one. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pass out on you. How long was I asleep?"

Edward laughed but kept his arm around me. "Long enough. The games finished. I guess you were tired."

_You idiot, you get to spend the afternoon with Edward Cullen, in his apartment and you fall asleep. Shame. On. You._

"I blame you for that," I said, and he chuckled. "Did they win?"

Edward scowled. "Nah, good game though."

I sat up. "I should really be heading home. I'm at work in the morning and you'll need to leave for LA won't you?"

"My flights not until after lunch tomorrow so don't worry about that. I was hoping you'd stay here tonight?" He looked at me hopefully. "But if you'd rather go home to bed I'll walk you whenever you're ready."

"After that nap I doubt I'll get back to sleep for a while," I grumbled.

"Well if you're not going to be sleeping, you might as well stay here with me and we can be awake together." Edward winked, pushing me onto the sofa. "I'd like it if you stayed. You're closer to work too."

I looked at him. "If you want?" I answered, but it sounded more like I was asking him the question.

Edward kissed me. "Absolutely I do. I'm still not ready to say goodnight, Bella. I'm having far too much fun."

We continued to kiss for a few minutes and as the seconds ticked by, I became once again, like a crazed animal. I couldn't believe how insatiable he made me. I had never been so over-run by my hormones in my life. I started tugging at his sweater and t-shirt. A muffled laugh rumbled against my lips but Edward played along, pulling them over his head. Of course we were past the point of no return and he started taking my clothes off.

_Not much point ever getting dressed while you're in his company._

"You know if we stay right here, it might be a good way to expel the image of Jasper's bare arse out of your mind for good." I giggled as he nearly fell off the couch removing his jeans. "Call it therapy."

"Bella, I'm not going anywhere." I heard the serious tone in his voice and wondered, no I hoped, he wasn't just talking about tonight.

_Don't get carried away. Don't get carried away._

However, I had a feeling I already had.

~x~

"Bella, I'm ravenous, do you mind if I order a pizza now?" Edward called from the shower a little while later.

"Sure, I'm not that hungry, but I could eat a slice or two," I replied, as I sat on his bed waiting for him. I wanted to shower again too but I felt a little cheeky asking.

_Shower; hopefully there shall be lots more straddling and you don't want to smell like a farmyard animal._

When Edward emerged, he had nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and sticking out all over the place. I had to restrain myself from attacking him again. "Do you mind if I have another shower?"

Edward shook his head and kissed me. "I told you earlier do as you please when you're here. There's a towel on the rail in the bathroom. I'll order the pizza. It shouldn't be long." Much to my dismay, he pulled on some cargo pants and a sweater and picked up the phone.

As I showered, I thought about staying the night. It probably wasn't the best idea. I had nothing to sleep in and I would have to wear the same clothes in the morning. I definitely wasn't happy about putting the same underwear back on tomorrow.

_Well, you don't need clothes tonight and if you're honest with yourself you've hardly had the underwear on all day._

I decided to just get up a little earlier and head home to change before work. I smiled at the little pink toothbrush he had bought me earlier; now sitting in the holder next to his own.

_Wow—he wants you to move in forever._

I chastised my crazy inner-self and dried off. I felt refreshed again as I walked out of the bathroom. I put on my clothes, minus my underwear. I felt very bare without them on when I walked back out into the lounge. But I suppose Inner-me was right, if things carried on as they had been all day I wouldn't be wearing much of anything soon.

True to his word, the pizza arrived quickly and we sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, eating another meal together. This was surreal.

"What time do you need to be up in the morning." Edward glanced at the clock in the kitchen, it was almost eleven and thanks to my siesta I was wide-awake.

"I need to stop by my apartment and change my clothes. So I'll set my alarm for about five-thirty." I saw Edward's eyes widen in horror, "Don't worry I won't disturb you—I promise." I winked at him.

Edward's face fell into a frown. "Do you have to wear a uniform?"

"No why?" I asked.

"Well, what's wrong with what you're wearing now? If you wore those you'd get longer in bed?"

I rolled my eyes at him in disgust. "I've had them on all day, Edward."

"Well, I like to think I've had you out of them more than you've been in them." Edward winked, but then yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Edward, I should go home and let you sleep. You look exhausted." I stood to leave but he jumped up and walked around the corner, pulling me against him.

"Don't worry about me, I'm used to being tired. Besides I can sleep tomorrow on the plane. I want you to stay, Bella." He rubbed my back with his hand.

I looked up at him and nodded. Even though he was tired, even though I had to be up for work in less than six hours and even though we'd done it countless times already today I couldn't control myself and I pounced.

As he kissed me, he walked us out of the kitchen towards his bedroom, turning off all the lights as we passed. We didn't re-emerge for the rest of the night and that was fine by me.

~x~

When the alarm went off the next morning, I had literally been asleep for about two hours. After a few more rounds of fun, Edward had fallen asleep, but I was wide awake. I laid there for a long time trying to take in the previous twenty-four hours. I managed to sum it up in just one word.

Unbelievable.

As the annoying alarm continued I groaned and covered my face as I turned it off. I heard a similar noise escaping from Edward. I had slipped on one of Edward's t-shirts earlier and so I darted to the bathroom in that.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face and went back into the bedroom. Edward was sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes tiredly. I rummaged in my bag for my compact and lip gloss but Edward reached over and took my arm.

"If you wear the clothes you had on yesterday, I'm sure you could come back to bed for another hour." He pulled me next to him.

"If I go back to sleep now I'll never get up for work," I grumbled.

Edward grinned cheekily. "I didn't say anything about going back to sleep."

"I think you have a problem," I said sleepily. "Sex addiction therapists like to call it."

"Is that a no?"

_It had better not be a no!_

Of course it wasn't a no, and he made me late for work. I bounded up the steps to the Ross' house at nearly twenty minutes past seven, still wearing yesterday's clothes and a huge smile. "Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Ross."

"Not to worry, Bella. I've only just finished getting ready myself. How was your weekend?" Mrs. Ross smiled at me as I walked into the kitchen. She was sitting with Ben at the table watching him tackle a piece of toast.

"Really good thanks. How was yours?" I asked unable to suppress my smile in the slightest.

"Oh, pretty uneventful really. I had lots of papers to grade ready for the holidays. We barely saw Mia, she and Abbey stayed in her room listening to a CD over and over. Ever since going to that Zeus concert she's been going on and on about them." She stood and kissed Ben's head as she gathered her things. "See you this afternoon darling. Bye, Bella."

Once she left the kitchen I sat with Ben and replayed the last hour in my head.

After he was finished making me late, I dressed and sorted my hair in lightning speed while Edward waited for me in the kitchen. We headed down in the lift, Edward still by my side, his arms around me affectionately.

He had a crazy busy life, and I was no part of that, so I fully expected we would say our goodbyes right then. Was I disappointed? Of course I was, but I'd prepared myself for it. So, when we entered the lobby Edward had taken me completely by surprise and turned my world on its head.

"Bella, please can I have your number? I'll be back in a week or so and I'd really like to see you again."

"You want my number?"I asked in complete shock. "Really? Um...sure...okay. If you want." I ripped a scrap of paper from my diary and wrote down my number.

Edward grinned. "Thanks. I'll ring you when I get back—it's probably going to be next Wednesday. Unless you'd rather I didn't?"

"No!"I said quickly and shook my head, smiling widely. "I'd really like that, Edward."

He asked the doorman to hail me a cab and then kissed me one last time.

It was still early, but I didn't care about the time, so I picked up my phone to ring Alice. I sighed impatiently, I'd let my battery run down. I needed to talk to her before I went crazy. I grabbed the phone in the kitchen and rang her on that instead. Alice picked up straight away.

"Hello, Mrs. Ross?" she asked cautiously. "Is everything okay?"

"No, Alice, it's me, Bella," I said. "My battery died."

"Oh, Jeez, Bella, I was getting worried."

"I'm sorry. I stayed the night with Edward again. I meant to call but I was just..."

Alice cut me off, "Okay, okay. I get it. You were too busy having fantastic sex with Mr. Delicious to stop and call me." She giggled down the phone. "So did he leave for LA?"

"Yeah, afraid so," I mumbled dejectedly.

"And?"

"And what?"

"And...was he just as nice this morning? Does he have your number? Are you seeing him again? Come on, Bella, tell me."

"Look, I'll give you the details later. But to answer your questions...um...yes, yes and I think so."

"Wow, you are one lucky woman. Okay, I'll let you go. We'll talk about it later over a Chinese and a bottle of wine."

I hung up the phone and for the rest of the day it felt like I was walking on air. Surely he didn't want to see me again? But why would he have asked for my number if he didn't want it? If he did want to see me again, should I tell him the truth? Would he even want to know the truth?

Unfortunately, I'd have a week to wait before I had my answers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I'm not keeping Bella's past a mystery for long & up next we have EPOV which I will try to post tonight! **

**Thanks for reading :D**

**This fic won't interfere with my WIP A Little Too Much...I'm hoping to post the next chapter of that on Monday and there is also an outtake of A Life With The Royal Staff which should be up soon :D**

**Katy**

**x**


	9. Chapter 9

****A/N This chapter has been pre-read by Prettyflour, but I have tinkered with it since she worked on it, so all mistakes are mine.****

**Chapter 9 - California**

**EPOV**

I couldn't take my eyes off Bella as she walked to the cab. Unfortunately, neither could my doorman. It was the same leech who had given her the eye yesterday and the night before. I shot him a glare before heading back upstairs. I grabbed some breakfast and then showered all the while thinking constantly of Bella. I couldn't get her out of my head at all, and if I was being completely honest with myself, I didn't want to. The last twenty odd hours with her had been amazing. I had enjoyed every minute of her company and was already looking forward to seeing her again. I couldn't deny she was absolutely gorgeous, there was something quintessentially "British" about the way she looked that enchanted me. Whenever she spoke she held my attention entirely. But besides the physical attraction, there was something else about her that captivated me and it was nothing that I could identify specifically, it was just her and everything that she was.

_"It's just her, and everything she was?" Goddamn, Edward, could you sound any more like a woman?_

I dressed quickly and grabbed my already packed overnight bag. As I was always on the go, I had quickly picked up the routine of re-packing my travel bag as soon as I returned home. Seth called it anal, I called it being prepared.

Downstairs, I found the car service already waiting. I jumped in and we set off to the airport. The drive to JFK was reasonably quick, it was less than twenty miles from Manhattan and the traffic was clearer than usual. Of course once I was there I had to deal with the flirtatious check-in staff, fans, and anyone else who recognised me. There were always paparazzi loitering at the airport and today was no different. I heard the photographers calling my name, asking me what my plans were but I just dropped my head and ignored them.

The other guys were already checked in and waiting for me in the Admirals Club. I saw them snickering as they saw me walk in and get myself a coffee. Seth knew I'd spent the day with Bella and there was no way he'd keep that to himself. I took a seat with the guys overlooking the heliport in terminal nine and prepared myself for the barrage of questions which were to follow.

"Wow you look like shit, bro. Did you sleep at all this weekend?" Emmett chuckled.

"From what Seth had to say, the answer would be no." Garrett peered over the top of his newspaper with a wink. "Interesting day yesterday?"

I nodded. "You have no idea."

"So what happened?" Emmett's eyes narrowed in frustration when I didn't elaborate.

I raised my eyebrows at my brother. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Emmett laughed and before he could answer Seth butted in eagerly, "Hell yeah we want to hear. That chick was hot man. If you hadn't nailed her I know I would have."

I shook my head and scowled at him. "Shut your mouth, Seth."

"Jesus, Edward, I was only joking. Sheesh, I didn't realise you'd got it that bad for her, dude," Seth grumbled and turned his attention back to the girl serving at the bar.

"Are you seeing her again?" Emmett resumed a few seconds later.

This was a question I had asked myself over and over. "I really want to. I just can't figure out if that's what she wants. She gave me her number so I'm gonna give her a call when we're back in the city." I wanted to call her now, but I wasn't sure how she would react so I decided against it.

"She seemed nice enough, Edward. So did her friends, not the usual types of groupies we have following us around." Emmett shrugged.

"Yeah she really is, not a plastic fantastic that's for sure." I smiled to myself at Bella's nailed on description of "those" types of girls we usually had on our heels.

Garrett chuckled. "Plastic fantastic?"

"Yeah, that belongs to Bella. It sort of stuck with me." I laughed with him.

Emmett smiled before adding with a more serious tone to his voice. "Seems like she's stuck with you too, buddy."

"I can't even deny it, Emmett."

I had never been _so_ into a girl this quickly before. I'd always been able to play it cool. Even when I'd met Tanya, I had been the typical guy, waiting for her to call me and in no particular rush to see her again. There was something about Bella, however, that made me act anything but cool. The problem was Bella acted a little too casual, almost indifferent, and it was that indifference that left me confused.

Emmett slapped me on the back. "Well then don't fuck it up. I regret how things turned out with Rosalie, biggest mistake I ever made, even though we're moving past it now."

Emmett had been dating Rosalie for about three years. She had been a model in one of our videos. They hit it off straight away and had been together ever since. There was a nine-year age difference and because of all the negative comments they had received Emmett always kept her at arm's length and their relationship out of the public eye. Eventually Rosalie had tired of the lifestyle Emmett lived and asked him to choose between the band and her. I knew he loved her, but he refused to leave the band, and they split up about six months ago.

Time apart seemed to give them both a new perspective. A month or two later, they started talking again and they were working through their problems.

I nodded and rested my head back against the couch. I only had about twenty minutes until my flight so I closed my eyes and re-played yesterday over and over in my mind. It had been the best damn night I'd ever had with a woman without a shadow of a doubt. I decided that leaving it a week before calling her would be far too long, but I did also think that it might freak her out a little if I called at this very minute, so I settled on sending her a text instead.

**Just waiting to board. I wanted to say I had a great time with you Bella and I'll give you a ring next week ~ Edward.**

I kept checking my phone until we boarded. After taking my seat beside Seth, I pulled out my phone again. It had been about forty minutes since I had sent her the message and I was a bit peeved she hadn't replied.

"Excuse me, Sir?" A flight Attendant was standing beside our row. "I'm afraid you'll need to turn your cell phone off now, we are preparing for takeoff."

I nodded and switched it off. I was exhausted so at the first opportunity I reclined my seat and stretched my legs out. I slept for almost five hours, only waking as we were making our final approach.

After landing at LAX, we went straight for a meeting with our manager, Johnny, to discuss the video shoot tomorrow. I was barely paying attention, I kept checking my phone and then my watch and from the corner of my eye I saw Seth shaking his head with a smirk on his face.

By six that evening, I still hadn't heard anything from her and I felt a little disappointed. I was staying with my parents, so I had the car service drop me off there. In all the years we had lived in LA I had never owned my own place. Seth and I had rented an apartment about four years back, but it became tedious hearing woman after woman in his bedroom and I decided to move out. I had considered buying somewhere, but I much preferred New York and whenever we were in LA I would spend most of my time with my parents and Caitlyn. The house was large and I had as much privacy as I needed, so I was more than happy.

_Maybe if this thing with Bella turned into something, my own place in LA might not be such a bad idea._

I heard voices outside, so I went to join them in the garden. I gave my mom a hug and sat with her by the pool.

My dad and sister were shooting some hoops on the court, but my sister ran straight over to me as soon as I walked outside. "Hey, Edward, I've missed you. Guess what? Dad's booked my birthday party; we're waiting until you guys are finished with your tour so you can come. You will come won't you?"

I had to laugh at her excited face. Caitlyn had the rest of us wrapped around her finger, she was the mirror image of my mother, so was I as a matter of fact, but as they were both girls the resemblance was more noticeable. Bronze coloured hair down to her waist, the same green eyes and just as pretty as my mother had been when she was her age. We were preparing ourselves for the "boy" times to begin and I pitied anyone she ever brought here. With two protective parents and two even more protective big brothers, it was going to take a brave guy to face us.

"Wouldn't miss it, kiddo," I promised,

"So, Edward, Emmett tells me you've met a girl in New York?" my mother enquired trying to sound casual but her eyes were brimming with excitement.

"Oh god another one, Edward? I hope she's better than Tithead Tanya. What a total bitch she was," Caitlyn retorted, ignoring the glare my mother was shooting her for the less than polite description of my ex.

"He told you already?" I grinned at her. "Yeah, her name's Bella. She works for Art a few nights a week and she's a nanny the rest of the time. You'd like her, Caitlyn." I winked at Caitlyn who scoffed at me and turned to run back to Dad.

"English isn't she?" my mother continued after Caitlyn had left.

"Yeah, well she was raised in England. Her father is American, he lives in Seattle. That's where Bella was born." I found myself smiling at the mention of her.

My mother smiled in response. "Emmett mentioned she was a pretty girl, I shouldn't expect any less from you though, Edward, should I?"

"Pretty doesn't do her justice, Mom. I had a really great weekend with her. You'd like her, she's really something."

"When are you seeing her again?" I could hear the eagerness in my mother's tone, she was always pestering me about settling down. Her biggest worry was that she had two sons who were fast approaching thirty and neither had given her a grandchild.

I couldn't help but scowl. Bella still hadn't text me back and I was starting to think she was really giving me the cold shoulder. "I said I'd give her a ring when we were back in the city next week."

My mother was about to say something when my phone buzzed, I snatched it up and breathed a huge sigh of relief when I noticed it was from Bella.

**Hi Edward, sorry my phone died and only just had chance to charge it. I really enjoyed this weekend too, have fun in LA. Bella x.**

I relaxed for the rest of the night and resisted the urge to continue texting her. At least I would be busy for the next few days. I needed a distraction, otherwise I found myself fantasizing about her constantly and it was driving me crazy.

This video was supposed to be relatively simple. We were doing a montage of shots in the studio and a few excerpts from some of our gigs. However, even a simple shoot can take hours and I finally fell into bed around one in the morning. I couldn't resist texting Bella; it was only ten o'clock in New York so I figured she would still be awake.

**Hey, Crazy Lady. What r u doing?**

A few minutes later my phone buzzed:

_I was sleeping**.**_

**What at 10pm? I guess this weekend really took it out on you ;)**

_Think u need to check the time, Edward, it's four in the morning here._

Four? Oh shit. Seven years I had been to-ing and fro-ing between LA and New York. How could I get the time difference wrong now? This girl had my head well and truly in bits. I tried to backtrack quickly.

**Oops sorry. Can I make it up to you?**

_How?_

**I can think of a few things.**

_Such as?_

**How about I give you a choice of 2?**

_I'm listening._

**1 – The best sex you've ever had. 2 – The best ice cream you've ever had.**

_Does Mrs. Wells do take out?_

**Don't think so why?**

_That's a shame. We could have done both together ;) Goodnight Edward x_

I groaned at the thought and willed the week to pass by quickly.

By Friday morning, the video and photo shoots were over. I hadn't called Bella, but we had texted most days. It was always light-hearted banter and I still couldn't grasp just what she thought about me. I hated sounding cocksure of myself, but I was usually questioning my feelings about women, not the other way around. Even if their intentions hadn't been honourable, all my other girlfriends had made their interest pretty clear from the day we'd met. Bella, on the other hand, gave me no clues whatsoever and it was driving me mad.

Of course, there was something she wasn't telling me; something about her life before New York. My mind had created a thousand different things, a boyfriend, a child, an old drug habit, and I even considered the fact she was a convicted felon on the run from the law. All joking aside though, I could see how uncomfortable it made her the minute Mrs. Wells asked why she had moved back to the States. There was also something in her eyes whenever she talked about England, she looked sad, haunted even.

What on earth could she have been through that left her scarred like that?

We were about to embark on the second half of our tour. We had already covered the majority of our dates in the US but there were eight more cities to do before we were heading all over the world. I knew we would be away for over three months from the beginning of July. So that meant, I had just over three weeks to figure this girl out and hopefully, spend as much time with her as possible.

"Edward?" My mother was looking at me with concern. "Are you still with us?"

I looked around the room and saw my family staring at me, clearly waiting for an answer to something I had missed. "Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked.

Caitlyn huffed and stamped her foot. "I was trying to plan my party. Get with the program, Edward, I'm going to be thirteen and it needs to be better than Jessica's party or I will never live it down."

"Oh, right okay." I looked at her in confusion. "How do I fit in with that?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Edward, you are so annoying. If you and Emmett were there it would be awesome. I was going to ask you to perform but that would just look like I was taking advantage of you guys being my brothers. So I was hoping you could ask Knockturn to do it instead."

Knockturn were our support act and had been touted as the next big thing, of course being on tour with us had really helped with their exposure.

"Yeah, we can sort that I'm sure right, Em?" I smiled at my sister. "I already told you I'd be coming. A room full of screaming girls sounds like a typical night for us. Where is it anyway?"

Obviously I had missed more of this conversation than I realised. I received another death glare from Caitlyn. "Edward, what's with you? I already told you where it was. Are you listening this time? Daddy's letting me have it at the Beverley Wilshire; it's in the ballroom too. How fab is that?"

I tried to look enthusiastic but I failed and promptly received another glare from my very angry sister. I stifled back a laugh. "Come on, Caitlyn, stop acting like a brat. I said I'd be there, but party planning's not really my thing."

Luckily she turned her attention back to my parents, launching into the dress code, the entertainers and other themes. I decided I'd text Bella again.

**Hey, what r u up to?**

I only had to wait a few minutes before she replied.

_Not much, just waiting to fetch Mia from school. What about you?_

**Listening to my sister plan her birthday party, I'm the big brother so I have to go.**

_That not a good thing?_

**Mmmm, let's see, a room full of screaming girls with no alcohol available. What do you think?**

_Good point. Aw crap, Ben needs his diaper changing...gotta go clean up poop._

**Lovely, thanks for that.**

_Your welcome x_

I was grinning to myself like an idiot and my mother and brother didn't miss it.

"You really do have it bad, bro." Emmett chuckled. "That must have been some weekend. You've been acting like a fool since we left."

My mother was smiling. "I think it's nice, Edward. Have you spoken to her since you left?"

I shook my head. "No. I said I'd call her when I got back to the City, I didn't want to seem too desperate."

"Edward, you've not stopped texting her since you've been home, I'm sure one phone call wouldn't bother her." Mom sighed. "You men are all the same, if you like the girl call her."

I didn't call Bella, we continued to exchange texts and on Monday morning she certainly got her revenge for my miscalculation with the time difference earlier in the week.

_Good Morning, Edward. I just thought I'd return the favour and give you a four o'clock wake up call. Pleasant isn't it?_

I laughed to myself and debated my answer for a few minutes.

**Being woken up by you at any time is definitely pleasant, although I would much prefer it to be in person**

_Wow, you're good. What's on your agenda today?_

**Just some prep before the tour kicks off. What about you?**

_Oh, you know the usual, jumping into chalked pictures, feeding the birds and magically tidying up the house with just a click of my fingers._

**Have fun Mary Poppins**

The last thing we had to do in California was meet to discuss our wardrobe, accommodation and schedule for the tour. Luckily, when we finished on Monday night Johnny gave us all a boost and announced we were obligation-free until the 1st July.

"Sweet, that's nearly three weeks," Seth crooned. "So, Edward, what shall we do to occupy ourselves? Are you staying in LA?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm heading straight back to New York so you'll have to occupy yourself, Seth."

Garrett laughed. "Need I bother asking why you're so eager?"

I grinned but didn't answer. I had already arranged to fly into Teterboro Airfield courtesy of the Record Company's private jet. The flight was leaving Tuesday morning. I didn't mention anything to Bella, just in case I was late but I was hoping to see her before her shift at Arts finished.

Luckily, there were no delays and the flight was smooth, we landed at eight-thirty, New York time, and I made it to Art's a little after ten. I saw her behind the bar; she had her back to me talking to Art and her room-mates. It was as quiet as usual, only a few people were scattered about downstairs.

"Evening all," I announced as I walked over to the bar. Everyone, including Bella, turned towards me but I kept my eyes on her face grinning at her.

Bella smiled back widely. "Hey, Edward. I thought you were in LA until tomorrow?"

"Nope, Johnny managed to juggle a few things so we could finish up earlier." I took a seat at the bar next to Alice who was smiling at Bella smugly.

"Beer?" Bella asked, but had set one on the bar before I could even answer.

I felt a little awkward, the last time I saw her had been over a week ago. I hadn't called her or told her I was dropping by. Would she think it was a bit too much? Before I had chance to speak to her, a guy from the pool bar approached. As soon as she walked over to serve him, he turned on the charm.

"Could I get two beers please? It's, Bella, right?" The creep looked her up and down.

She nodded but said nothing; she just put his drinks down on the bar and took his money.

"So, Bella, what do you do when you're not working here? Someone who looks like you has to be a model. You're a model aren't you?" He didn't take his eyes off her so he failed to notice the glare I was shooting him.

Bella sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nope, not a model."

"Well, you definitely should be. What do you say to a drink after your shift's finished? I can show you the sights of the city; I can tell you're not a local."

"I'd love a drink when I'm finished..." Bella began to say and his face lit up, "But not with you. Sorry."

"Your loss." The guy huffed and stalked back upstairs.

"So, Edward, what was it like in LA?" Angela asked as Bella made her way to stand with us again. "It was somewhere I've always wanted to go."

"Good. If you get the chance you should go. See the sights and all that, it's got nothing on this place though," I answered without shifting my gaze from Bella.

"Duly noted. Come on, Angela, let's get home. Edward, you can walk Bella home right?" Alice stood looking at me. "And if you go back to your place again, make sure she texts me unlike last time." She now turned to glare at her friend accusingly.

"Yes, Mother," Bella scoffed.

"Night Guys," Angela called as Alice dragged her outside.

Art moved next to Bella behind the bar. "So, Edward, how long are you back for this time?"

"We fly back to LA on the first of July and the tour kicks off on the third," I replied, still looking at Bella. "I'm a free man for three weeks."

She smiled at me. "What have you got planned?"

"Nothing yet."

Art decided to give us a minute and he disappeared into the office. "What have you been up to?" I asked her.

"Working, working and working. Art was short this weekend so I was here Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I only agreed to do it when he promised I get this weekend off. I think he's regretting it now though." She laughed again.

I needed to talk to her alone. "What time will you be done?" I was the only one downstairs now.

"Once those guys upstairs are done Art's probably going to close. It got around that you guys were in here last Saturday and it's been a lot busier. It only started tailing off about half an hour before you got back." Bella did look tired. I could see the circles under her eyes. She sighed. "I'd better go get the empties from upstairs. I hope that guy doesn't have any more lines up his sleeve. They've been getting worse and worse all night." She trudged wearily upstairs and I resisted the urge to follow her.

Clearly, the man had taken the hint, because Bella was back downstairs a minute later with a few bottles in her hands. I watched her tidy up the bar and count up the takings in the register. She made a note on the receipt and put it in the drawer.

"Quicker it's done, quicker I can leave." She yawned.

I decided to hurry things along. I excused myself and jogged upstairs to the pool bar. I stuck my head around the door.

"Bar's closing now, could you finish up?"

The two guys were just about to re-rack, so they set their cues down and made their way downstairs. As they passed the main bar, Bella was swapping some empty liquor bottles and as she stretched up part of her stomach was visible. The creep who'd been hitting on her all night saw this as an invitation to try again and began to walk towards the bar.

"Keep walking, buddy, she's taken," I hissed in his ear, he glanced back at me and continued out of the bar.

"Nice work." Bella laughed as I closed the door behind them.

"Happy to help. Hey, Art?" I shouted out.

Art emerged from his office. "What?"

"Place is empty now, can I steal Bella?"

"Yeah go. I'll cash up."

Bella winked and handed him the cash from the register. "All done, totals on the top of the receipts. Don't forget I'm not in this weekend so I'll see you next week." She grabbed her jacket and purse from under the bar.

"I know, I know," Art grumbled, "If you want to grab an extra shift just let me know." His eyes flickered to me and he sighed. "Never mind I know you won't. I'll just lock this away, turn the lights off as you leave would you?"

Bella turned the lights off behind the bar and walked over to me. As soon as I could reach I grabbed her waist and kissed her. Just a quick kiss, but enough to drive me crazy.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked, almost feeling nervous. "Are you hungry?"

She shook her head, "No I ate earlier with the kids. Do you mind if we go to my place I need to change my clothes?"

"Sure." As we walked out of the bar I almost grabbed her hand, stopping myself as soon as I remembered how uncomfortable she had been with that the last time we were together. Instead I settled for walking as close as I could to her.

It was a nice mild, clear night in the city. Being New York, there were plenty of people and cars around, but I managed to pass by un-noticed.

"It's too bad you're working in the morning. This is the kind of night I love to sit out on the balcony." I was a little pissed because Bella would be up at some ridiculous hour tomorrow so I'd have hardly any time with her tonight.

I saw Bella smile and then she held out her phone to me. "That might not be a problem now."

I looked down and saw a text from Alice.

**I've called Mrs. R & told her you're ill with stomach flu. I'm looking after Ben tomorrow. She said to feel better soon. Just try not to venture out in public, but after the last time you were together I doubt that's going to be a problem x**

"You've got great friends." I laughed feeling elated.

"I told you I did. We should worry about the kids though. I wouldn't like to have Alice looking after me." Bella giggled and nudged me playfully.

We arrived at her apartment and the lights were all off. The girls I presumed were in bed. Bella left me by the door.

"I'll be right back." She disappeared into the darkness. Literally a minute later she re-appeared with a small bag. As she brushed past me into the hallway outside I could smell her hair and perfume, and it drove me wild. I followed her out and pushed her up against the wall beside the door, I kissed her hard and held her waist tightly.

I would have stayed right there all night but Bella pulled away. "Let's go," she whispered and took one of my hands, holding it until we reached the street.

We made the walk to my building quickly and as soon as the elevator doors closed I couldn't keep my hands off her. I kissed her again and this time she moaned quietly, pressing herself against me. When we reached my floor I threw her bag through the doors and grabbed her thighs to lift her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled on my hair.

"I've waited all week for this," I mumbled, refusing to move my mouth from hers. "You've been in my head all the time, Bella."

I sat Bella on the back of the couch and stood between her legs. I felt her fumbling with my belt and then after that was open, she set to work unbuttoning my jeans.

"Take these off," she ordered, and I chuckled.

"Bedroom," I said simply, and picked her up once again. I practically ran us into the bedroom and we collapsed onto the bed, tearing off our clothes as we did.

I wanted to take my time with her, but Bella had other ideas. She pushed me on my back and sank down slowly onto my dick. I fisted the sheets, she felt so fucking good. Better than I remembered.

"Goddamn, Bella," I croaked, and then held onto her tightly as she bounced up and down. "I've waited all week for this."

I caught her tits in my hands, squeezing and playing with her nipples. I wasn't going to last much longer, she was killing me I swear to God. And then she began to roll her hips..."Fuck."

Her moans were echoing in my head, every little thing was tipping me closer and closer to quite literally exploding inside her. Bella's nails dug into my chest and she dragged them down to my stomach.

"Oh my God, oh...I..." She called out my name and that was just too much for me to handle. The way it sounded on her lips as she climaxed and the sensation of her tightening around my dick blew my mind and I came harder and more intensely than ever.

"Wow," she breathed, leaning forward to rest against my chest.

We hadn't been able to keep our hands off each other for most of the night, when we were finally spent she drifted off to sleep and I stayed awake watching her. In just a week I had become completely in awe of her. Never in my life had I felt like this about anyone and I knew I was falling for her fast.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thank you as always for reading and leaving such amazing reviews. Bella's story up next...all is revealed lol**

**Hope you liked EPOV.**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

****A/N This chapter has been pre-read by Prettyflour, but I have made changes since she worked on it, so any mistakes you see are mine!****

****Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.****

**Chapter 10 - A Deal Breaker?**

**BPOV **

I woke up at around ten. Of course as soon as I was coherent, all the memories from last night flooded to the forefront of my mind and set me into a lust filled stupor. When I thought about last night I had only one thing to say-wow! There was that word again; surely a man like Edward needed his own word in the dictionary. I had to think of one better than ,"wow". It hardly did him justice. I literally couldn't get enough of him and luckily he seemed to share my ferocious appetite for all things sex related.

I could feel Edwards's warm breath against my shoulder and his arm wrapped around my waist. I was contemplating turning over discreetly, without waking him, but then he kissed my shoulder softly. I forgot all about being discreet and rolled to face him in one swift motion.

"Good morning, Bella," Edward murmured moving his lips to kiss my nose.

"Hi." I smiled, unable to keep that ridiculous smile from my face. "I'm glad you're back."

_Um...hello? Don't you think you should be concerned with morning breath?_

"Believe me, so am I." Edward grinned. "So what do you want to do today?"

"You're the one who's been away for a week. I'll let you decide." I peered over his shoulder trying to remember what happened to my clothes.

"Well, first of all I need breakfast. I'm starving." He jumped up out of bed and walked over to his closet.

_Ooh look at that ass. This man should never be allowed to wear clothes. Let's make it illegal please._

I didn't move. I just sat watching him as he pulled on a pair of black board shorts and a long-sleeved red t-shirt.

_No! Take your clothes off, Mr. Delicious. Take them off. Off. Off!_

"I'll just be a few minutes." He winked and disappeared into the bathroom.

It looked like another beautiful day outside, the sun was shining and I could feel its warmth through his huge window. My bag was still on the floor near the elevator so I went to retrieve it. I was almost floating as I made my way back to the bedroom to tidy myself up.

After I dressing, I walked over to the window, gazing out onto Fifth Avenue below.

_Open the window and scream, "I just slept with Edward Cullen. AGAIN."_

Instead of doing that, I pulled out my phone and called Alice to see how she was coping.

"Hey, Alice. How's Ben?" I fretted. "I owe you big time for this, thank you."

"What are friends for? Do I need to ask how your night was?" Alice laughed down the phone.

"Nope, you don't need to ask. And if you did I wouldn't tell," I said.

"You're such a prude. Anyway, make the most of your time with him. These shits are all yours tomorrow."

"I know, I know. Could you let Mrs. Ross know I'll be back in the morning?" I laughed, she sounded a little frustrated.

"Gladly. Oh crap I'd better go–Jesus, Bella, how often does this guy poop? They need to get him a litter tray. Gross!" Alice muttered before hanging up.

I hadn't heard Edward walk up behind me so when he kissed my neck I almost jumped out of my skin.

"Hungry?" he asked, resting his chin on my shoulder.

I started grinning like an idiot again. I couldn't believe I was back in his company. again, and apparently he was in no hurry for me to leave either. "Yeah, ravenous," I replied. "What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing here I'm afraid. We can go back to Ma's if you like? Get one of those almighty breakfasts." His eyes were raging with excitement and I couldn't have said no if I'd wanted to.

I turned to face him. "Sounds great. Just let me nip to the bathroom." I was beaming like a child at Christmas when I came out, because my little pink fairy toothbrush was still there in the holder like it had been last weekend. I wanted to do a happy dance and start singing at the top of my voice, but that was something no one should ever have to hear.

"Do you miss England?" he asked, after we'd eaten. I could see the genuine interest in his eyes, although I had no idea what could be so fascinating about my life in comparison to his.

"It's complicated. I miss my family, well technically they're my step family, but I don't think I'll ever go back. It just doesn't feel like home anymore," I answered honestly.

"Because of your mother?"

I hesitated before nodding. "Too many memories." I hoped he'd leave it at that; it just hurt too damn much talking about her.

Edward did then change the subject, but the one he chose made me wish he'd stuck with my mother. "So, did you leave a boyfriend behind?"

_He had to ask sometime right? Lie, Bella. Lie, lie, lie._

I sighed. I was hoping to avoid this subject for a long time. I knew he had to know eventually, but I also knew the minute he'd heard the story I wouldn't see him for dust.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious." Edward clearly noticed my reaction.

"No it's not that. It's just..." I trailed off not knowing what to say or how to start.

"Extended version?" He smiled at me.

"Yeah, extended version plus a few deleted scenes." I was in turmoil, part of me was screaming to shut up and the other was pleading that I just be honest. He deserved to know what a nightmare I lived in and why I'd become this version of myself.

"Bella, its fine, you don't have to tell me anything." Edward reached over and lifted my chin up. "Seriously, don't worry."

"No, Edward, it's something you should probably know. Although, the second I finish talking, it _will_ have you high-tailing for the door." I tried adding light-heartedly.

"Wow, is it that bad? You're married aren't you? I should have known someone as amazing as you could never be single," he joked, but I could see his eyes were anxiously curious.

"It's worse, Edward," I confessed, taking a deep breath before I continued. I was trying to draw in as much oxygen as I could now before the hyperventilating and sweating began. "Look, I'll tell you everything, but you have to promise me something. When I'm done, I want you to be straight with me. Please tell me if it freaks you out too much. I would rather know now than later, okay?"

Everything I had been through six years ago was hidden in a box that only a few select people knew about. I hated my past and the hold it had on me, but it was part of who I had become, and something about Edward made me want to show him exactly who Isabella Swan really was. The question was, would he want to stick around once he knew?

_Hell no. Keep your Goddamn mouth shut._

"Scouts honour, Bella. No B.S. I promise." He frowned at me, trying to figure out in his own mind what I was about to reveal.

_Don't even try, Mr. D, it's like something straight out of a Hollywood horror movie._

As soon as I allowed the memories out of their little box in my mind, I felt like I'd been transported back almost seven years and was reliving each moment. This was going to be so much harder than I thought, but I wasn't going to back out now. I took another deep breath and began to tell him about James.

"When my friends and I were turning eighteen, we decided to have a night out in London; you know, go to the trendy clubs and stay in a nice hotel. We were fed up of being stuck in the village with the same boys as there had been in school and the same bitchy girls, gossiping about anyone and everyone. So a few weeks after my birthday we went for the weekend.

"We had been to a few bars and it was a really, really great night. We were leaving one place when we bumped into a group of guys. They were a few years older than us, twenty-two or twenty-three maybe. They seemed like fun and we decided to go for one last drink with them. I got chatting to one guy in particular, James. He was good-looking and easy to talk to so we swapped numbers. He called the next day when we were back home and asked if he could take me out on a date.

"I admit, that first night we went out I was impressed; he turned up in a nice car and took me into London to this really exclusive restaurant. I was only young so I guess the superficial stuff coloured my judgement. He seemed like a genuine guy and we continued to see each other for about four or five weeks. James worked in the city as an investment banker, so he lived a completely different lifestyle to me and I found the change exhilarating at first. James invited me to go with him to his work's annual ball. It was at a really upmarket hotel and it was the most extravagant party I had ever been to. I was a little annoyed when he started introducing me to his friends as 'My Bella' but I shrugged it off as the alcohol talking.

"After the party I was staying over at his apartment for the first time. Again the contrast in our lifestyle floored me, he had this amazing apartment on Mayfair and I found I was willing myself to like this guy. We'd never...um...slept together or anything before that night and even then I was a bit concerned it meant something different to him than it did to me. I allowed things to happen and I should never have done, because that night changed everything. Afterwards, he got really emotional, telling me how magical it had been and that he loved me more than anyone else he'd ever met. It freaked me out big time. I was eighteen and I didn't want anything serious with him or with anyone else for that matter; I was just waiting to start university and I was looking for fun. I never said it back to him and the next morning I pretended I was hung over and barely spoke a word on the way home. I avoided him after that and tried to clear my head making excuses about college work and shifts at the pub. The following Saturday, a week after the Ball, I went out with my friends. I didn't say a word to James about it, but at the end of the night I saw him in the same bar just standing there, watching me. I was livid and stormed outside, he followed me and I told him things were going way too fast and that I wanted to stop seeing him. He went ballistic and began screaming at me to reconsider. When I turned away he dropped to his knees in the middle of the street and begged me to forgive him. I told him to stay away from me and left in a taxi with my friends."

I could hear the words coming out as I spoke, but it felt as though someone else was actually saying them. I picked at my fingers, and my feet were tapping away on the floor. I knew my voice was shaking and I was almost on the verge of tears, but I hoped Edward was oblivious to it.

"Of course I'm a pushover, so when I'd sobered up the next morning and talked to my mother about it, I felt guilty. He'd been so charming and friendly when he'd met my family that they all liked him. My mum persuaded me to talk to him and explain that he needed to give me some room. I met up with him for a drink and again, he begged me to give him another chance. I told him he had to stop acting so intense and he said he would. At first he seemed to relax and we were actually having fun together, but carefree James only lasted about a month. That's when he started getting possessive; he would turn up at college and wait by my car. I got five or six text messages an hour from him and phone call after phone call. If I was working at the pub he would wait from the start of my shift to the end."

I saw the nervous grimace on Edwards face when he heard that remark, and he obviously began to draw comparisons between James and himself. I wanted to stop and reassure him that he was at the complete other end of the spectrum to James, but if I stopped now, it would be impossible for me to start again.

"One night a man came to the pub for a drink. He was a regular and had known Phil, my stepfather, for years. He made a bit of a flirty comment to me and James went nuts. He launched himself at the man and started kicking and punching him. Phil threw him out and barred him. That was the last straw for me and I ended it for good. James just shook his head and told me I'd see sense soon enough.

"I assumed that was the last I'd see of him, but I was so fucking wrong. The five or six texts an hour turned into fifteen or twenty. I was receiving thirty calls a day and he would follow me everywhere. If I drove he was never more than two cars behind me, if I walked he was like my shadow. I tried to ignore him, hoping he would take the hint but that didn't work."

I paused and looked at Edward's face; it was impassive like he was trying not to react. "It got worse..." I continued and prepared myself for the next part of the story.

"This carried on for about a month. He would call my mobile, our land line and the line into the pub. If anyone other than me answered he would hang up, but when I answered he said nothing, I could just hear him breathing at the other end. My clothes started to go missing from the washing line outside, and it got to a point where we had to stop hanging it out to dry. Every day I would get flowers, soft toys, letters, cards and other gifts delivered. Every single type of flower in every colour imaginable. We contacted every florist we could think of and told them to refuse his orders but they still kept coming. We lived above the pub, and things of mine would disappear. My jewellery box, books, even my perfume vanished."

"Phil called the police but they couldn't do anything. We couldn't prove the calls or the gifts were from him and the same applied to the things we knew he had stolen. As he hadn't actually threatened me there was no charge they could bring against him. My mother told my father about it all and he paid for a lawyer to try to help us. We managed to get photos of him following me and as a result I was granted a Temporary Restraining Order. Of course it made no difference, he was still out there. The calls and gifts kept coming and just like before we couldn't prove any of it was him."

It was beyond difficult trying to talk about this and I wished I'd never started. I felt sick, the knot that had manifested in my stomach all those years ago returned whenever I thought too much about James and my mother. I saw it as my punishment for what I had done.

"I stopped going out, I left college, cancelled my university acceptance and stopped seeing my friends. In a year I changed my number fourteen times. It got so bad for all of my family, that my father paid a few men to pay James a visit. They left him in a bad way and he was in hospital for a month. That month was the first time I felt normal in so long. I could leave the house without worrying he was there and I began to mix with my friends again. I actually dared to think that he would take the hint and finally leave me alone.

"But of course the minute he was discharged it got worse. Our cars were scratched and the tires slashed, we had dog excrement posted through our letterbox and windows at the house and pub were smashed. I couldn't eat or sleep and I was making myself ill. Seeing me like that took its toll on Mum too; she was beside herself with worry and no one could do a damn thing to stop him."

My eyes stung as I fought back tears, my throat physically hurt and the breakfast I had just eaten was dangerously close to making a re-appearance on the table. This part of my life, I had spoken to no one about. Alice had been the one to explain to Angela. It was physically painful whenever I thought about it and I knew saying the words out loud would be torturous.

"On Mum's forty-first birthday, my step-sister Sarah and I, persuaded Phil to take her out for a meal. Sarah and her husband came over to the pub to help me. At around ten, James turned up drunk, singing _'Nothing Compares to You'_ in the car park. Sarah's husband went outside to ask him to leave and he started smashing up the cars in the car park, screaming for me to come outside and talk to him. Sarah called the police and then Phil to ask him to come home. When the police arrived James assaulted one of the officers and he was arrested.

"We waited and waited for Mum and Phil to come home but they didn't. Sarah tried calling their mobiles but couldn't get through. It was a few hours later that we had a visit from two policemen. On their way home, racing to get back to me, Phil lost control of the car and they crashed. He had been knocked unconscious but wasn't seriously injured. My mother was dead before the ambulance arrived."

I had to pause, just briefly, because I was choking, desperate to cry. But I had to control myself. This story was bad enough for Edward to listen to, he most certainly didn't need me breaking down in front of him.

"I don't remember much about those few days after Mum died. I was almost zombie-like. I didn't eat, sleep, or talk to anyone. I couldn't stand to be in the house or the pub. Everything made me think of her and how she was never coming back...all because of me. As soon as he heard, Dad flew straight to England with Alice. They took me to the hotel until the funeral.

"I heard James, was charged with assaulting a police officer, but I didn't care. My mother was dead because of me.

When I talked about my mother in the present, it was easy to imagine she was still alive. I found that way I could keep in control of the grief and pain that I still felt. But talking about her dying, acknowledging the fact she was gone, tore me up inside. I had never been able to overcome the guilt and shame, it consumed me. A few tears escaped and I tried to wipe them away quickly, hoping Edward had missed them.

"After the funeral my father asked if I wanted to move to the states with him permanently and I agreed straight away. I needed a fresh start; the entire place reminded me of what I'd done and every time I saw Phil I could see how I'd destroyed his life. I knew he would never ask me to leave but having me around was a constant reminder why my mother was gone.

"I packed up as much as I could and left the day after the funeral. I've never been back since. James was still in prison waiting to go to trial and I didn't even tell my friends I was leaving. The only people who knew were Phil, Sarah and her husband. I was a complete mess for months. I felt like he was still watching me and I was constantly looking over my shoulder checking no one was following me. Alice was wonderful and really brought me back to the land of the living. Dad got me a job at his company and Alice got me my life back, I honestly don't know what I would have done without either of them. After about a year of feeling afraid, things began to get better. Alice and I were renting a place with two other girls and through them I met Jacob. I couldn't deal with a serious relationship, but he was happy to just stick to casual. Eventually, I started to forget about James, I knew he'd been sent to prison for a few years and I thought I'd finally escaped.

"After about two and a half years in Seattle, I received a bouquet of flowers at work. Alice and Dad knew never to send me them, and Jake just wasn't that kind of guy, so I was shaking before I even read the card. I knew what it would say and I was right. It just said, "forever." He'd found me. I told no one, even when the phone calls and texts started; I didn't want to destroy anyone else's life again. I saw the same car parked outside my house, my work, and Jake's apartment. I stopped eating and began slipping back into my shell again. Alice noticed my behaviour and confronted me. I told her what was happening and she dragged me straight over to my father and he called the police. Once again they couldn't do a damn thing. Basically it was even harder this time because James wasn't a US Citizen, they had no way of tracing him. The calls were from pre-paid phones, he stopped using credit cards, and the car I'd seen was eventually found abandoned. Jake's car, my father's work, and our house were vandalised repeatedly. One night we came home and there was dog excrement all over the walls and my bed. If I looked out of the window I would see him staring at me, but the minute I called the police he'd vanish.

"Alice and my father refused to leave me alone and demanded I was with them or Jake at all times. The whole mess freaked Jake out big time. I hadn't thought to tell him about James so he wasn't prepared for any of it. He started avoiding me and acting weird when we did see each other. One night, I got a message from James which said, "You're mine, never forget it, Isabella." Then a few hours later I found out Jacob had been badly beaten outside a bar and was in hospital. I went to visit him and that's when he told me I wasn't worth the shit he was being put through. I told him I was sorry, and I haven't spoken to him since. The police couldn't prove it was James that had done it-they had no idea where he was, and Jake couldn't remember anything.

"The two other girls we were living with asked me to move out, because they couldn't cope with all the things happening. Alice told them friends should stick together but they wouldn't budge, so she moved out with me. I could see the same strain on people that I'd caused in England, so I decided to leave and let them get on with their lives. Dad didn't want me to go, but he'd got Amelia, his fiancée and a successful business to run. When I told Alice she grinned and asked me where we were going. I let her choose and we moved here a few days later. We had my dad drive us to the office in the trunk of his car and then he got his assistant to drive us to the bus terminal. I should have known how easy I would be to find in Seattle, I should have gone somewhere different, somewhere there was no one who knew me, but I suppose I never thought he'd follow me across the Atlantic. It put a huge strain on my relationship with Dad. I've only seen him twice since then, he only ever comes to see me if he's here anyway on business. I know it seems drastic but if James is still around he could use Dad to find me. I don't have a Facebook account, Twitter or anything like that, neither does Alice. It's Angela's name on the lease for the apartment; Alice and I are on there with fake names. I never even had a credit card until last year. Angela made me a secondary card holder on one of hers and Dad has given me one for emergencies. I go to extremes but I don't want to risk him finding me here. I love this city more than anywhere else I've ever lived. So far so good, but I suppose it's only a matter of time before he finds me again." I closed my eyes and took a long deep breath.

Edward said nothing but I heard him stand.

_Look he's leaving. I told you not to tell him you fucking idiot, you shouldn't have said a word._

But Edward didn't leave; he walked around the table and sat beside me.

"Fuck, Bella, that's...it's...shit, I don't have words. I can't believe you had to live with that." He put his hand on mine and squeezed it. "What a prick," he added quietly.

"I could think of a stronger word for James, but I suppose prick is okay."

"No James is much, much fucking worse. I was talking about the guy who let you walk away, the idiot who said you weren't worth the trouble." He paused. "Did you tell me all this because you wanted me to know? Or have I been getting too intense? I don't want you to think I'd ever be like that. It sickens me-"

"I don't think that about you at all. I really like having you around." I clamped my hand over his mouth and shook my head. Then I added seriously, "Edward, I just thought you needed to know. I didn't want to add more drama to your life. I'm sure you have more than enough crap to deal with on a daily basis without me and my shit." I looked up at him. "No B.S remember?"

Edward nodded. "I remember and thanks for telling me. I'm glad you trusted me enough to share, but it changes nothing as far as I'm concerned. I mean it, Bella, I really like you and I'm sorry to disappoint, but I won't be high-tailing it for the door."

I had no words to describe how that made me feel and Inner Bella had only one.

_Wow._

Edward asked me a few more questions about the whole thing and I answered him honestly. I couldn't believe it but he didn't seem deterred by the whole horror story at all.

"That's the real reason you don't want us to be seen together in public?" Edward asked as we left the diner.

I nodded. "Yes, sorry I just can't...I battled with myself so hard over you. I couldn't wait to see you again but it terrified me at the same time. I get panic attacks sometimes and I just can't relax, I don't even know if he's still out there looking or if he's gone back to England. I lived under a rock when we met and to be honest I'm really struggling to force myself back out into the open, but I guess I can't live that way forever."

_Jesus woman, don't get too heavy, he doesn't want to hear your life plan. Right now you're just a girl he likes to share Mr. D junior with, that doesn't make you his girlfriend or anything. Slow down._

"I'm quite relieved actually. I just assumed you were embarrassed of people thinking you were my girlfriend." I saw him glance nervously at me after he said, "girlfriend."

_Holy shit he called you his girlfriend, you are Mr. D's girlfriend. After girlfriend comes Fiancée and then wife and that means straddling him forever and ever..._

I shook my head at both Edward's remark and the incessant fantasizing Inner Bella had begun to immerse herself in. "It's not just about James; it's for my safety too," I teased. "I need protection from all your lunatic female fans. Nothing worse than a jealous woman. But for the record I'm not embarrassed. Not at all."

"Good. Will you stay again tonight?" He was looking at me, hopeful. Like there was even a remote chance I'd say no.

"I'd like that but let me call at my place and grab more clothes. I'm not wearing these again tomorrow."

"There's always my shirts, you know they look sexy as hell on you." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and laughed.

"I don't think Mrs. Ross would appreciate me turning up for work in just one of your shirts." I laughed, feeling a little euphoric. He hadn't walked away.

Edward pouted. "Oh yeah, I forgot you had to work for the rest for the week. That's a bit of a bummer."

"Welcome to the real world. It's not all jet-setting all over the place for the rest of us you know." I nudged him playfully. "It's not too bad though, Mrs. Ross finishes for the summer next Friday and then I've only got my shift at Arts until the end of August."

Unfortunately, on our walk home, Edward wasn't as anonymous as he had been the other occasions we had been together. People were staring and one girl even whipped out her phone to take a picture of him. Before I even realised what he was doing, he pushed me forward and stopped the girl to ask if she wanted a picture together. I continued to walk ahead and he jogged back to my side just as we reached my building.

"Sorry about that." He puffed and shot me an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry. All in the life of Edward Cullen, I suppose." I grinned.

"Mm mm, unfortunately so."

I opened the door but the apartment was empty. Alice would still be over at the Ross' and Angela was working at the hospital. I pushed him to the couch. "Sit. I'm going for a quick shower and then I'll grab a few clothes. I'd say look around but this is pretty much it. Not quite as impressive as your place I'm afraid."

Edward shrugged. "It's nice. Don't be too long though in case your room-mates come home. They scare me." He sprawled out on the couch and switched on our television.

"Be as quick as I can." I went straight into the bathroom and showered in record speed.

I gave him a wink as I hurried back to my bedroom to finish getting ready. He watched me with a hungry look in his eye that almost had me leaping into his lap.

I opened my closet and pulled out a faded denim skirt and a white vest top to wear. I threw them on the bed and then fished out some black trousers and a turtleneck sleeveless sweater for work tomorrow. I packed them into a bag and closed the door. Edward was leaning against the doorway, his incredible eyes burning seductively at me. Without a word he stepped forward and kicked the door closed behind him.

_Ooh, bad-ass Edward is fucking hot, hot, hot._

I shook my head and took a step back. "Angela will be home soon." I tried to object but he grabbed my shoulders and kissed me.

"So?" he murmured softly against my mouth.

"So? So she might catch us." I fought back weakly, he'd already won and he knew it.

"We'll just have to be quick then won't we?"

He didn't wait for me to say anything, he kissed me fiercely and tugged open my bathrobe. "This needs to come off," he whispered and then pushed it from my shoulders.

There was something a little different in the way he held me this time. He was softer, slower, yet commanding and intense simultaneously. I let him take control, asurrendend d myself to whatever the hell I was feeling. It was scary, yet exhilarating to be this close to someone, no that was too vague. It was scary, yet exhilarating to be this close to Edward.

His fingers laced with mine, pinning my arms over my head as he pushed inside me; slowly rolling and rocking his hips. I moved with him, urging him faster, harder, and when he complied it sent me crashing over the edge quickly.

We fell asleep in my bed afterwards. I was disturbed by my phone ringing. I fumbled around on the floor and picked it up, answering it without lifting my head from the pillow. "Hello?" I mumbled sleepily.

"Bella? It's Carole Ross. Look, Alice said you were feeling better but I think it's for the best if you stay away for the rest of the week. We're going on vacation soon and I don't want Ben or Mia to pick anything up. Don't worry about the missed hours; you can cover three days during the holidays if you like?"

"Um...if you're sure you can manage?" I'd woken Edward and he was kissing my neck and shoulders softly. "I'm sorry to let you down."

"It's no problem. Paul's not due in court until next week so he's going to work from home. Feel better soon, and we'll see you on Monday morning." Mrs. Ross hung up and I began to feel guilty for lying.

"Problem?" Edward whispered as he rolled over me, brushing his lips against my collar-bone.

I laughed, "Well Mrs. Ross thinks it's for the best if I stay away for the rest of the week. She doesn't want any of the children to catch what I had. I couldn't argue without telling her I wasn't ill in the first place."

Edward looked up at me and smiled. "Well I guess I've got you to myself for a few days then."

I could hear the television blaring and Alice and Angela chatting in the lounge. "I'm afraid you'll have to face the scary room-mates again." I teased as I dressed, encouraging him to do the same.

"That was worth facing a hundred scary roommates, Bella," he said softly and kissed me.

**A/N So, that's Bella's story...was it what you expected? **

**Thanks for reading.**

**More soon,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

****A/N This chapter has been pre-read by Prettyflour, any mistakes you see are mine! ****

**Chapter 11 - Football, Chauffeurs and Moronic Mike**

**BPOV **

For the rest of the week Edward and I barely spent a moment apart. I only ventured out of his apartment to buy a few groceries. Edward had been more than happy to order take-out but I insisted otherwise. If I continued to follow his diet of choice I would have to be removed from his apartment by crane. I decided to try my hand at preparing a meal for Edward, the only problem with that was my pretty limited culinary skills. Aside from omelettes the only thing I ever cooked in England was Yorkshire Puddings. It was my mother who taught me her special recipe, and over the years I had gotten pretty damn good at it. So I bought the ingredients and set to making them. I had to do it under constant scrutiny, Edward insisted on watching and I felt a little nervous when we sat down to eat.

"Well?" I asked after he took the first mouthful and kept quiet.

"What are these again?" he asked with a mouthful but no expression on his face.

"Yorkshire Puddings. Don't you like them?" My heart sank.

_Yeah, way to impress the guy–make him puke_

"Are you kidding me, they're fantastic. How have I never had these before? Can you make some more?" His eyes were wide with excitement and he shovelled in another mouthful.

"Yeah, it's about the only thing I can cook." I laughed, "You know when you go on tour you can get these with most sunday roasts in England."

"You can? Like in restaurants and stuff?"

"Yeah sure, but the best places are the small pubs that serve food. Trust me home made are the best." I felt very chuffed with myself and began to eat happily.

We spent the day lounging about in bed, on the couch or on the balcony. Edward made me feel completely at ease and it was so easy to forget all my worries and fears. Even though he had only been back for a few days, I found myself dreading the first of July. Zeus were resuming their tour and he'd be gone for three months. I already knew he would have barely any free-time, especially not enough to fly back to the city. Part of me also wondered what would become of our "thing" when he did leave. I wasn't an idiot and I knewthe guys would have female fans in their thousands throwing themselves at them. Surely Edward wouldn't want to leave a girlfriend behind while he toured? Not when he could have the pick of anyone he wanted whenever he wanted.

_Just accept the fact that what will be will be and enjoy whatever time you do have left with him. There's no way this will ever turn into a happily ever after so what's wrong with happy right now?_

Of course I would never get a happily ever after. I could just picture my wedding day now; Me, dressed in the huge gown, standing by the altar listening to the priest say, "If anyone present knows of any lawful impediment, why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony speak now or forever hold your peace." The doors burst open and James comes charging down the aisle brandishing a machete and then proceeds to butcher the entire congregation.

No, Inner-Bella was right, happy right now was all I could ever hope for and at this very moment that's just what I had.

Friday was the start of my first full weekend off work in ages and Alice had been dying for a girly night out. As sad and pathetic as it was I would much rather have stayed holed up in Edward's apartment but she was never going to let that happen. As it turned out, the Soccer World Cup was in progress and Art was screening a game. Edward invited me along to watch it with him, and I had to smile a little when his face fell in disappointment after I told him I had plans with the girls.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"Edward pouted as I stepped into the elevator.

"I promised Alice and Angela we'd go out. Go have fun with your friends watching football, soccer, or whatever you Americans call it." I winked and he laughed.

"Do one thing for me?" he asked, kissing me on the lips softly.

"Anything, what is it?"

"Come back here later, after you're finished?"

"Sounds good."

"Just give me a ring when you're on your way back and I'll meet you in the lobby." He shot me a wide smile as the doors closed and I beamed back at him. I was looking forward to coming back already.

_Well of course you are, you can't straddle Alice or Angela can you?_

It was just after two in the afternoon when I stepped out onto Fifth Avenue. It was teeming with locals, shoppers and tourists and I felt as though I had a big neon sign over my head reading, "Isabella Swan just came from Edward Cullen's apartment." Of course no one looked at me twice, they were all too wrapped up in their own lives and I decided to follow suit and bask in the glorious sunshine that felt like it was shining down just on me. I was overwhelmed with what was happening. Admittedly when I first saw him in Art's I had a massive crush develop pretty much instantaneously, but I honestly didn't expect for it to be reciprocated.

Of course this thing with Edward was a huge risk, I was putting myself out there for _him_ to find. I knew walking away now was the responsible thing to do, but I also knew there was no chance of that happening. Why on earth would I walk away from the best thing that had ever happened to me?

I wandered into my apartment and sat on the couch dreamily. Angela was still at work but Alice emerged from her bedroom with a look of expectation on her face.

"Look, it's been driving me fucking nuts not having every detail, Bella. Please tell me everything, pretty fucking please?" She put on her best pout and goo-goo eyes and I giggled.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Absolutely everything," she crooned and laid her head back against the couch. "Come on, I had to spill when I first met Jasper."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. If I remember right you came home and gushed about him for hours. We had our hands over our ears, at one point when you started talking about the size of his dick," I scoffed. "Just because you like to share every perverted little detail doesn't mean I do."

Of course she hadn't relented and had pleaded, begged and negotiated every last detail out of me. By the time I had finished I was highly embarrassed and rather irritated but at least I got her to shut up.

I jumped in the shower and tried to psyche myself up for the girly night out. As soon as I was done I couldn't resist texting Edward.

_What are you up to?_

**Just on our way to Arts. What about you?**

_Just had a shower. I'm now trying to motivate myself to get dressed._

**I'd rather u didn't.**

_What? You would rather I go out to a club with no clothes on?_

**Okay maybe not, perhaps you should wear a little something.**

_Don't worry a "little"__ something is exactly what Alice has planned._

**I should have got u a sign to carry around saying, "Property of Edward Cullen."**

_No need. I think I already have a large neon sign that says something similar hanging above my head lol._

**Where are you going?**

_A club in Soho. Alice is too tight to take a cab so I'm being forced to take the subway._

_**Please try & talk her into taking cab. What time are you going out?**_

_Hoping to be ready for 8pm. Just waiting for Angela to finish work._

**Okay. Still see you lat****er?**

_Of course, I can hardly wait. I'd better go. I'll call you when I'm on my way back, have fun x_

**I'm sure I'll have more fun with u later x**

I heard Angela dart into the apartment a little before seven and head straight to shower. I was just attempting to sort out my un-cooperating hair when Alice came into my room.

"Need some help?" She laughed at my pained expression.

"Naturally."

Alice set to curling my hair. It took her barely anytime and soon enough it was hanging loosely down my back. I applied my makeup and saw her smiling at me through the mirror.

"What?" I asked with my mascara held to my eye.

"Nothing, I'm just glad it's finally happened that's all." She grinned back.

I stopped what I was doing before I blinded myself and turned to look at her. "Glad what's finally happened?"

"You've stopped hiding away and finally realised life is for living." She shrugged and said, "I'm so pleased you told him the truth and he's still here. You deserve that, Bella. You deserve that more than anyone."

I reached over and gave her a hug. "I couldn't have done it without you, Alice."

"I'll always be there if you need me. Don't forget that." She smiled and then added, "You've inspired me too."

"Inspired you, how?" I asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about the whole 'casual' thing with Jasper and what's the point?" She shrugged. "I really like him, Bella, and I want more. So, that's what I'm going to tell him. He's meeting us at the club later...that's okay right?"

"Oh, so you drag me away from Edward insisting we need a girls night, only to ditch me for your piece of ass? Bloody charming, Alice," I said sarcastically. "I like Jazz, he's good for you. I can still have fun with Angela, and then later I'll have my fun at Edward's place."

"Thanks, Bella. Come on lets hurry up and get dressed, I need a drink." Alice inclined her head to my outfit she had hung on the back of the door and I sighed in frustration.

"You have got to be kidding me? They won't cover my arse." I motioned to the barely there black shorts.

"Just get it on and stop whining. Trust me. I wouldn't let you go out looking anything other than perfect." She stood and skipped from the room.

I grumbled to myself as I dressed, the top Alice had picked out was fine, a tight black and white striped top with a short fitted black jacket attached to it. The shorts were pretty but not something I could ever wear without consuming a shit load of alcohol beforehand. looked at myself quickly in the mirror and then stomped out into the kitchen. Alice was already in there with a bottle of wine at the ready, she thrust a glassful towards me and I drank it quickly.

Alice, of course looked effortlessly chic as usual. She had a pair of black leather pants, with an off the shoulder grey sweater-dress. We had a few glasses of wine each and the bottle was almost finished when Angela finally emerged.

In order to get me out tonight Alice had promised not to subject me to Florentino's, instead we were going to The Avenue, and it was a club I had never been to before. Our buzzer rang just as we were leaving the apartment and rather than answer it we just headed straight to the front door. I almost fell over when I saw our guest.

"Good Evening, Ladies. I'm Franz; I believe you're off to Soho?" A chauffeur nodded politely and turned to open a door to a very fancy black car. He waited for us to move but we were all frozen to the spot. "Mr. Cullen asked me to drive you. He wasn't keen on you girls taking the subway."

I nodded and stopped forward, Alice and Angela followed and we climbed inside the car. I looked at them in astonishment.

"Oh my God, he sent you a freaking car, Bella. Wow," Angela squealed hysterically.

Alice was shaking her head in disbelief. "You must be something else in the bedroom, girl, 'cos that guy's putty in your hands."

I scowled at her as Franz drove away from our apartment steadily. "He was just being sweet." I was trying to brush it off as a casual gesture but inside I was thrilled.

"Sweet? Bella, sweet is sending a girl flowers. Sweet is buying you dinner. Arranging for a chauffeur to drive you from one side of Manhattan to the other just so you don't have to take the subway is slightly more than sweet," Alice scoffed.

"Hey, Franz?" Alice shouted to the driver who looked in his rear view mirror. "Do you know Edward well?"

Franz smiled. "Actually I work for the record label but I do drive Edward and the rest of the guys around frequently."

"Okay, so tell me something, does he do this on a regular basis?" Alice asked staring at me accusingly and I cringed.

"Not at all." He turned his attention forward and said nothing else.

Now I had both girls staring at me, waiting for my response. I said nothing and just gazed out of the window but saw nothing at all.

_Listen to the girls. Mr. Delicious thinks enough of you to ask HIS driver to drive YOU because he was worried about you taking the subway. Straddle him later to say thank-you._

We rode the rest of the way in silence. I thanked Franz as I got out of the car and began to hand him a tip.

"No, Miss Swan, please put that away. I get paid a nice enough salary without taking money from nannies who earn much less than I do." Franz smiled kindly and closed the door behind me. He pulled out a little card and handed it over. "If you ever need driving anywhere please call this number and someone will pick you up. Mr. Cullen mentioned you didn't own a car. Goodnight, Ladies."

I looked at the little card in my hand and smiled.

"See don't even try to deny it, he told his driver about you and told him he was to drive you anywhere you wanted. Welcome to the land of love." Angela laughed and grabbed my arm. "I love this guy. I don't know how he did it, but I've waited a long time for you to be you again."

_Yeah, we love him too._

Our first port of call was a small cocktail bar. It was dark and dingy inside with a black light ambiance and I loved it. Angela and Alice sat me at a table and went to the bar. I immediately text Edward to thank him.

_Wow, thanks for sending the car. Alice & Angela almost exploded__. It was really nice Edward x_

**I really hated the idea of you on the subway all dressed up. You didn't mind?**

_No not at all. Lovely actually. How's the game?_

**Depends on your loyalties. England 1-0 up.**

_Ooh, not sure how 2 do this tactfully but OH YEAH BABY!_

**Hey you were born in the USA, I think I misjudged you, Miss Swan****. I'm not sure I like how you are right now ;)**

_I think you love exactly how I am. Bet you're glad I didn't come with you. Imagine how embarrassed you would be with me cheering for the English._

I clicked send and then panicked. Shit. I had just mentioned the "L" word in a text to Edward. Shit, shit, shit.

**Yeah, you're right I wouldn't change anything about you. As for being embarrassed–never. Pretend I had no idea who you are-absolutely.**

Phew, I appeared to have got away with that "love" slip.

**Hope you have fun with the girls.**

_Oh, I'm sure by the time Alice's done with me I'll have a hard time staying upright._

**Don't worry about that. When you get back here upright won't be necessary ;)**

_Looking forward to it already._

I suddenly became very eager for the night to be over but I knew I wouldn't be allowed to leave for hours yet. I smiled to myself and put my phone in my bag. Angela and Alice had returned with our drinks and were shaking their heads at me.

"You two have it so bad. All you needed to say was, 'Thanks, Edward,' and then put your phone away," Alice said with a smile, and sat down.

"What can I say? I just can't help myself." I grinned.

We stayed in the fabulous little bar until just after eleven and then we made our way to The Avenue. It was a relatively new club and Angela had managed to get us on the guest list. That was a welcome relief given the length of the queue outside. Finding a seat was going to be an impossibility, so we settled for a nice spot by a pillar in the middle of the club. We were arguing amongst ourselves about who was going to the bar when Alice's eyes lit up. Jasper was making his way towards us with one of his friends. Jasper I liked. The friend on the other hand, I did not like in the slightest.

When Jasper first moved in across the hall with his old college friend, Mike, Alice had insisted on setting us up on a date. I suppose he was a decent enough guy at first glance. Polite, not bad looking, and he seemed quite eager to take me out. I agreed and we made arrangements to meet up for dinner one. Big fucking mistake.

The minute he turned up at the door wearing a burgundy, velvet tuxedo I knew it was going to be the date from hell. I immediately wanted to cancel but Angela and Alice shoved me out of the door refusing to let me back out. Mike took me to this ridiculously fancy, and as I later found out, over-priced place which just happened to be Sushi restaurant.

I fucking hate Sushi.

Mike insisted on ordering an assortment of dishes to try and find something I like, but it was pointless. I ate nothing all night, choosing instead to drink plenty of Sake. It made it easier to tune out the dismal conversation and lame jokes. When the bill came Mike admitted he didn't have anywhere near enough money to pay for the meal and I had to put almost $150 on my credit card to cover the difference. I stormed home and made the girls promise to never set me up on a date again.

Mike, however, thought it had gone very well and still looked at me like he was expected me to pounce. "You're looking ravishing tonight, Bella," he crooned in a strange voice, almost as though he was trying to be British.

"Thanks," I mumbled and turned my attention elsewhere.

"So, are you up for some you and me time at my place later?" He winked and smirked.

_Hell no._

"No thanks, Mike." I tried to be dismissive but polite at the same time. I obviously failed.

"You know you want me, baby. Resistance is futile." He leaned over close to me as he whispered and his breath was revolting. "I don't know why to try to deny it."

_Jesus. You could strip paint with that. Evacuate the area._

"I'm going to the bar," I announced, desperate to get away from Mike.

"I'll come with you, Bella," Angela said. "We can give Alice and Jazz some time to themselves."

"Good idea," I agreed.

After being served, we stayed by the bar and Angela began quizzing me about all things Mr. Delicious. "Come on, Bella, you have to admit he is being pretty wonderful," she cooed dreamily.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "He really is, Angela, but let's not forget I've known him for two weeks and a week of that he was on the other side of the country. Also, let's not forget that in a few weeks he's off on tour and I won't see him for three months-if I see him again at all." Of course as soon as I spoke about his upcoming tour my smile vanished.

"He'll be back for you I'm sure of it. If he was just looking for some 'fun' then he could have anyone he wanted. Why would he keep you as close as he has?" Angela winked. "Trust me, Bella, I think this is much more than a fling–to both of you."

I looked at her and found myself torn. Torn because although I knew I was falling for this guy big time, I knew I was risking everything I'd got here in New York and the only question I had to answer was which one was more important?

_Oh come on - like you don't already know._

Unfortunately, Mike had followed us over to the bar and appeared far too close to my side. He put an arm around my shoulders and winked. "So, are we enjoying ourselves? Jasper and Alice are having quite an intimate chat so I thought I'd grace you with my presence. May I get you beautiful ladies a drink?" He spoke with that ridiculous accent again and gestured towards the bar.

"Are you sure you have enough money to pay for them this time?" I mocked before asking him, "What's with your voice?"

Mike looked flustered and took a few seconds to answer; but when he did speak it was back in his regular New York accent. "Nothing's with my voice, Bella, and of course I have enough money to pay for them."

_Freak! We want Mr. Delicious, and we want him now._

This guy was giving me the heebie jeebies so I excused myself to the bathroom. Angela said she'd wait by the bar and I took off as fast as I could. I hid in there for quite a while and started to re-touch my makeup and tidy my hair. I figured that since I was trying to hide from Mike, I could quite easily get away with texting Edward. I pulled out my phone and saw a text from him.

**Game finished 1-1. So are you still upright?**

I grinned and replied quickly.

_For now yes, but I was hoping u could help me with that._

I waited about five minutes for a reply but none came. I put my phone away reluctantly and pushed my way through the crowd back to Angela. Mike was still loitering like a spare part and I kept out of his line of sight. I caught Angela's attention and pointed towards the other end of the club, but she shook her head and beckoned me back over to them.

_No. Don't go near him again._

I scowled at her and moved as far away from Mike as I could. Angela smiled and asked me if I wanted another drink. I nodded still scowling.

"Couldn't keep away, Bella?" Mike looked me up and down slowly, and I turned my frosty glare to him.

"Cut it out, Mike," I said, sighing. "

If Angela was subjecting me to the company of Mike, I figured alcohol might help distract me. I waved the barman over and ordered two shots of tequila. I pushed one towards Angela and drank mine quickly.

"Don't I get one?" Mike asked sadly..

"No," I replied without even looking in his direction. I was seriously pissed he was here and annoyed with Angela for keeping me in this close proximity to him. I noticed she was taking her time with her drink.

"Why don't you stop trying to deny it, Bella? You know you want me. Look, let's go back to my place and I can show you my moves," Mike said and then proceeded to thrust his hips back and forth. Angela laughed into her drink and I rolled my eyes.

_My god this creep has got problems._

I had no patience left with this guy and I set him straight. "Look, Mike, I'm sorry to sound like a bitch, but I've tried to be polite and you just can't take the hint. I wasn't interested in you when we went out on our awful date and I'm not interested now. Please stop doing that, I don't want you to show me your moves." I was exasperated.

"Whatever, Bella. You really shouldn't be so choosy it's not as though you have anyone better waiting for you is it?" Mike scoffed.

"Actually she does." Angela giggled as Mike stalked away in a huff. "If only he knew eh, Bella?"

"Come on Angela drink up, I want to go and find Alice." I whined but Angela just shook her head and continued to drink slowly.

"Why are you stalling?" I whined.

"You'll see," she said with a smirk, but didn't elaborate.

I waited with her, but was growing increasingly impatient. Was it early enough to leave and head to Edward's place?

_Yeah it's straddle o'clock, baby._

Finally, Angela took the last drink of her cocktail and nodded at me to move. As I began to turn I felt a pair of hands grab my hips and pull me back slightly.

_Mike–grrrrr!_

I was about to swing around and punch the guy when a pair of soft lips kissed my ear softly.

"Angela said you needed help with an unwanted admirer so we came to join you."

I spun around and grinned. "Hey you. This is a nice surprise." Without a second thought I planted a kiss right on Edward's lips. Now it wasn't really full on or anything. But anyone watching would realise it wasn't how you greet a friend. Clearly I had surprised Edward because he froze and his eyes glanced around the room cautiously before looking back at me.

"Thought you said no PDA? Maybe that wasn't a great idea," he teased but he kept me close to him.

"Maybe I don't care anymore," I replied and kissed him again Of course I did care really, but it was nice for just one brief moment to pretend otherwise.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading and reviewing. I failed with replies from the last chapter I am working through them and adore reading each one!**

**This story is up for Fic Of The Week over on The Lemonade Stand. If you have a spare minute to go and have a look...there are some amazing stories up this time & you can vote for 5 :)**

**More soon!**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	12. Chapter 12

****A/N This chapter has been pre-read by Prettyflour, but I have made changes since she worked on it. All mistakes are mine!****

**Chapter 12 - We Love Her Too**

**EPOV**

I couldn't get enough of Bella, the more time I got with her, the more I wanted. When she managed to get the rest of the week off I was quite literally ecstatic and had no intention of letting her out of my sight. Unfortunately we had a pre-arranged boys night planned, the Soccer World Cup had started and we'd arranged to watch USA's first game (which ironically turned out to be against England) at Art's. I had every intention of bringing her along, prepared to take whatever shit Seth gave me for it, but she had other plans with her friends. I managed to persuade her to come home afterwards and then spent the next hour liking how the word "home" sounded in relation to Bella. I showered and changed into a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt before heading down to Arts. Emmett and Rosalie were there already with Garrett and Seth. The bar was full when I arrived but luckily, it was mainly guys in there for the game, so no-one gave us a second glance, good job really because I was in for a tirade of abuse from Seth the second I sat down.

"Oh, she let you out then I see?" he snickered, "You are one pussy whipped motherfucker, Cullen, you know that right?"

I ignored him at first and Emmett spoke, "Mom, Dad and Caitlyn are back. They wanted to remind you about your party on Sunday afternoon. Mom said to bring Bella, she and Caitlyn are dying to meet her." He grinned.

"Caitlyn is dying to meet her? Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it." My sister was notoriously difficult with any girl we ever brought back to the house.

Seth laughed. "Yeah it's a great way to scare her off if you've had enough of her."

I shook my head at Seth in disbelief. "Why would you think I'd enough of her?"

As was customary, my mother always threw a little get together for my birthday, I wanted to ask Bella to come along but didn't want to pressure her. I understood how difficult this was for her and didn't want to do anything to scare her away.

Emmett smiled. "You like her that much I take it, bro? She did seem pretty cool when I met her."

"She's amazing, Emmett. I can't get her out of my head," I said to him quietly.

Emmett nodded pensively. "Can you trust her?"

He had reason to be suspicious, we had all had our fair share of kiss and tell stories in the past and it wasn't something we liked our mother to see. I knew he hadn't meant it with any malice but it pissed me off regardless.

"I told you, Em, she's amazing, absolutely nothing like any girl I've ever met. When I'm with her she's not interested in the fame or the money and she hates the idea of us being seen together in public or having her face being splashed all over the internet and stuff." I picked at the wrapper on the bottle of beer and Art came to my defence promptly.

"Edward's right, Bella's no groupie. He has nothing to worry about with her. Edward being who he is would have been more of a deterrent to her than an appeal." He nodded at me.

"That might be the case right now, but you have to see Emmett's point, guys. I mean she is just a nanny and that can't pay much. How do you know she won't sell you out if things don't work out?" Seth piped up and I resisted the urge to punch him.

"Trust me, if Bella needed money she wouldn't need to sell Edward out to get it." He saw my bemused expression and laughed. "Has she not told you about her father?"

I shook my head. "Only that he owns a pharmaceutical company in Seattle. Charlie I think she said he was called.",

"Charlie Swan," Art said, still laughing. I knew that name and I racked my brains trying to remember where I'd heard it before. "As in Charles Swan CEO of Dalton West Pharmaceuticals. Understand a little better now?"

"You're kidding me?" Garrett chuckled. "Well then Bella's probably richer than all of us put together. I think you can relax now, Emmett."

Dalton West was one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in North America. They supplied the majority of the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies on the west coast. I wasn't usually too knowledgeable on financial information but thanks to a few long haul flights recently I had made the most of any reading material available and there was an article on the company in the inflight magazine.

"Yeah, I think I can." Emmett laughed.

Garrett looked at me. "I think she's great, Edward. I just understand Emmett's concern; you have made some pretty bad judgements on women in the past."

"I know. Trust me, Bella's no Tanya. She's different. She has been through some pretty awful shit and I trust her completely. You don't need to remind me we've only known each other for a matter of weeks, but I really do like her, Garrett. In fact I'm bordering on being more like a protective father at the moment. I've just asked Franz to drive her to Soho rather than her use the Subway."

"That's an impressive move, man." He laughed. "I should probably mention that Alice told me to give you a warning the last time we were here." I could see a smile playing on his lips.

"What's the warning?"

"That if you mess her friend about she'll cut your dick off while you sleep." He laughed. "I told her it wouldn't be a problem."

"What do you mean not a problem?" I was pretty sure having my manhood severed was a fucking problem to me.

"Come on, Edward, it's pretty obvious where you two are heading. Don't even try and deny it."

And I couldn't, as crazy as it was after only a few weeks I knew how I felt about her, I was falling head over heels in love with her. I'd really liked Tanya, but after a few months together she had started to pressure me about buying our own place and talking engagements. I panicked like most guys would and avoided the subject like the plague, but right at this moment I could think about that stuff when I thought about sharing it with Bella, she had rocked my universe the minute I laid eyes on her and every minute I spent with her I fell harder.

After the match finished, the rest of the guys went to shoot some pool. I stayed at the bar talking to Art. I knew he'd been waiting to talk to me alone since Bella and I had got together. It wasn't more than a few minutes before he started talking.

"So you and Bella, huh?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, Art. Me and Bella." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Look, if you've got something to say just spit it out. I'm getting sick and tired of people questioning our intentions all the Goddamn time."

"Hey, Edward, I've already said my piece. I told you she was a good kid when you first met. I don't doubt your sincerity, Edward, but your world and her world are two completely different places. You do get that right?" Art was serious, I had known him for most of my life and I could see a protective streak in him I had never seen before.

"Yeah I get it, Art. What are you saying exactly? That because of what I do, we can't possibly have anything together? I know how crazy my life can get and I won't let Bella become a part of that, she doesn't want it either. I like her, Art, I really fucking like her." I sighed in frustration. "I know I've only just met her, but I'm not going to fuck this up. She's nothing like anyone I've ever met. I know she's been through hell and I can't imagine what that was like for her to live with. The last thing I want to do is risk putting her through it again."

I stopped my rant, afraid I'd said more than I should have but Art nodded in agreement.

"You know what happened to her then?" he asked quietly.

I looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, Bella told me when I got back from LA. When did she tell you?"

"She didn't. Alice thought I should know. She mentioned that every now and then she lets her bravado slip and she has a 'moment', panics I guess. Don't tell her I know, I don't want to cause any trouble between her and Alice." Art frowned, "You see why I'm worried for her? That girl's like a sister to me. Being with you could put her through all that shit again."

"I know but Bella is _really_ careful when we're in public. It turns my stomach when I think of the fucked up things he did." My voice was filled with anger and disgust. "I don't think anyone is pleased about 'us', not the guys, you, her bodyguard Alice."

Art looked at me intently. "Can I just say something?"

I nodded, waiting for another word of warning.

"I think you'd be surprised to learn Alice's probably your biggest fan. We chat quite a lot when Bella's working here and one thing that always upsets Alice is how brave Bella tries to be for everyone else. She never really grieved for her mother, still six years later she's never really dealt with losing her. She puts on a brave face and hides it away and for the most part she has everyone convinced, even Angela doesn't realise how deep it runs. Alice isn't fooled, she always said how sad Bella's eyes were and when I looked I saw what she meant, even if she smiles it never reaches her eyes. When you guys first met and you left for LA she was convinced that it was just a 'fling' and she'd never hear from you again. I tried telling her you'd be back and so did Alice but she didn't believe us. When she saw you walk in here, I almost didn't recognise her. Alice saw it too and despite the facade she puts on she loves that you've given her, her best friend back. As long as you do right by her, Edward, no one will give you any grief, not me or Alice I promise."

I was a little taken aback, I knew just how badly Bella had affected me but I never thought it was the same for her, not yet anyway. I had nothing to say and Art tried to lighten the mood.

"Where is she anyway?"

"Out with the girls. They've gone to a club in Soho. I'm seeing her later." I found myself smiling as I always did when I thought or spoke about her.

"Tell her I said hi. Don't get used to her having all weekend off, she's missed that's for sure. All the customers love her," Art grumbled.

"Well whenever I'm in the city and she's here working you can expect to see me propping up the bar." I laughed.

"Fine by me, buddy, you and the guys are great for business."

As the night wore on I was dying to see her, I'd texted her to tell her the score but she hadn't replied. I stayed in the bar, but I spent most of the time talking to Rosalie about Bella.

"Will I get to meet her on Sunday?" she asked curiously.

"I haven't said anything to her yet. I don't know if she'd think I was being a little forward."

"So just ask her. If she doesn't want to, then she says, no thanks. No big deal, well let her think it's not a big deal." She smirked and I just rolled my eyes at her.

I was ready for leaving when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Expecting it to be Bella I pulled it out with a huge grin.

_Hi Edward. It's Angela, Bella's friend. Hope you don't mind me texting you but I wondered if you & the guys felt like joining us? Bella's got an admirer who won't take the hint & she's getting very pissed off._

I was definitely up for that and shouted up, "Hey I'm going to a club in Soho to meet Bella, you guys coming?"

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Surely you can wait a few more hours?"

I ignored him, well aware Seth would jump at the chance and he didn't disappoint me.

"Yeah I'm up for it, let's get going," he agreed and we drank up quickly, leaving Garrett, Rosalie and Emmett in the bar.

I sent Angela a message back.

**We're on our way. Where are you guys?**

_The Avenue, it's a club on Amsterdam Ave. We're standing by the corner of the bar._

The three of us took a cab straight over, the club was relatively new and there was a huge line of people trying to get in. Being famous had its benefits, especially at times like this. Seth nodded at the barman and he walked us straight to the door and into the club. It was a really cool place actually, all frosted glass bars and tables. At each side of the dance floor there was a sweeping stair case which led the way to the bathrooms. I scanned the bar and quickly found Bella; she was glaring at someone clearly giving him a verbal bashing given the expression on his face.

I pushed my way through the crowd over to her. I stood close behind her and placed my hands on her hips. She looked incredible. The shorts she was wearing had to be the sexiest thing I'd ever seen and it took all my resolve to keep my hands off her. As soon as she felt my hands she stiffened. I kissed her ear gently and spoke, as soon as she heard my voice she relaxed.

We drifted over to a roped off area beneath one of the staircases, even though the club was full to the brim, these kind of areas were always kept available for any surprise VIPs such as ourselves. There were four couches positioned around a small table. Bella and I sat together on one couch as close as we could without drawing too much attention to ourselves. As soon as we were in a quieter part of the club Bella pulled out her phone.

"Alice, where are you?" She stood and looked around the club. "Okay, see the two men stood by the staircases? Head over there that's where we're sat." She turned to me, "You don't mind if she brings Jasper do you?"

"Bare-ass guy?" I grimaced but then laughed. "No of course I don't mind."

"Yeah, bring Jasper. But only Jasper. If Mike comes I cannot be held responsible for my actions," Bella warned icily.

"Mike?" I had to ask.

"It's the guy who wouldn't take the hint." Angela giggled. "Tell him, Bella, you know, the first date story."

"It wasn't a date." Bella scowled but reeled off the story.

"Wow, that dude needs some serious dating advice," Seth sniggered before he resumed searching the room for women.

I saw Alice approaching the seating area, hand in hand with a guy. Jasper I assumed, I couldn't be sure because the only part of this guy I'd ever seen was his ass.

"Nice to meet you." I reached up to shake his hand and introduced myself and the guys.

Jasper nodded and then he and Alice sat down on the couch beside us. I saw him keep glancing at me and Seth a little wide-eyed. He didn't speak much at first, but after a few drinks he loosened up and everyone was talking freely.

Seth, Jasper and I were discussing the World Cup, what the chances were of USA making it through and mocking Bella for being an England supporter.

I felt Bella shuffle closer to me and lean forward over my legs to talk to Alice resting one hand on my thigh. Without even giving it a second thought I had put my hand on her back and ran my fingers up and down her spine. Jasper was still talking soccer and I had to fight to keep my focus, a few minutes later Bella sat back and snuggled against me. It felt good to be like this with her so I draped my arm around her shoulders and began twirling her hair in my fingers.

"Aw, come on guys, enough with the sports talk," Bella groaned.

"Why the hate, Bella?" Seth asked.

"I'm just not into sports," she muttered said.

"She's always been the same. Whenever she came to visit her dad in Seattle he took us to see the Seahawks. I loved it, but Bella wasn't interested," Alice told us. "Seriously, Jasper, we could get box seats and free drinks but she refused to go when we got older."

"Free Box seats? Wow how'd your dad swing that?" Jasper asked.

"Because he's an investor or part-owner or something like that," Alice informed him and Jasper's mouth fell open.

"One of their sponsors actually," Bella mumbled, and then frowned at Alice. "Dad's CEO for DW Pharmaceuticals."

"Yeah, I know. Art mentioned it earlier. Why didn't you say anything?" I asked.

"I just got into a habit of never telling anyone anything about me. Besides, people always assumed that because my dad was rich that I was a brat and expected to be treated like royalty. I hated it; he always tried to buy his way into my life, rather than just being my dad. I don't want to live off his name; I like being responsible for myself and not owing anyone." She looked frustrated. "It was my grandfather's company first. Dad used to be Police Chief of a small town in Washington state called Forks. But when his father started getting sick he took time off to help him with the business in Seattle and he never left. Mom and Phil didn't really have much money so I grew up with nothing spectacular and I like to think I turned out just fine."

I kissed her head softly. "I think you turned out pretty much perfectly, Bella."

"Wow, maybe I picked the wrong room-mate, Bella," Jasper joked and Alice elbowed him. "What? I'm kidding woman."

Bella chuckled and rested her head against my shoulder as we continued talking. Now the Seahawks had been mentioned, the subject remained on sports and Jasper, Alice and I talked football. Seth disappeared "to dance" which meant he was on the prowl for female company again. Bella kept quiet throughout, and I almost stopped mid-sentence when she started sweeping her fingers up and down the inside of my thigh. Each time her fingers crept higher and higher.

"Can we go?" She lifted her head up and whispered in my ear, "I can barely stop myself from attacking you."

"Like I could say no," I muttered and stood up pulling Bella with me.

"Alice, will you make sure Angela gets home okay?" Bella asked as we stepped away from the couch.

"Yeah. Go have sex," she replied and laughed loudly.

Security let us out of the fire exit onto a deserted side street. As soon as she saw we were alone Bella spun around and pulled me against her, kissing me forcefully.

"Let's get a cab." I breathed when I managed to prise myself away.

**BPOV**

I woke early Saturday morning, frustratingly early. I groaned when I saw it was only seven. The sunlight was streaming in through the window in Edward's bedroom and made it impossible for me to sleep.

_Note to self, tell Mr. Delicious to buy some blinds._

As I lay in bed, I looked over at Edward, this incredible man who accepted me and all of my problems like it was nothing. I felt nothing but fear and guilt for so long that I was surprised to feel other emotions clawing their way out. I knew exactly where I was heading; and when I was honest with myself I could admit I was already there.

_Lovesville._

I couldn't let these feelings progress could I? Aside from the fact we were talking about _Edward friggin' Cullen_, I mean seriously, who was I trying to kid? Edward was amazing and seemed to enjoy my company but there was no way he was going in the same direction as I was...was there?

_Hell you're travelling at ninety miles an hour down the freeway while Mr. Delicious is deciding what bus he should get on._

There was one other important factor I had to consider if by some remote chance this "thing" we had actually turned into anything, and that factor was James. Anyone I loved ended up being hurt in one way or another. My family in England, my father, Jacob, and Alice all had their lives torn apart because of me. If _he_ found me again, or perhaps I should say, _when_ he found me, Alice, Angela, Edward and anyone else remotely attached to my life would have to deal with so much crap and I hated that. Alice was my best friend and had stuck with me in Seattle, she had uprooted her life to move across the country with me and I couldn't bear the thought of putting her through it again, especially now she yjay had Jasper.

If I was a decent person, a good person then I should just leave. Move away, alone, where no one else had to worry. I had thought about doing it, over and over again but I couldn't. I hadn't been able to leave Alice or Angela and now I didn't want to leave Edward.

These past few days had awoken a completely different side of me, the real me and when I was with him I never had to hide away or pretend to be someone I wasn't. So few people knew the real "Bella" and Edward made it seem effortless to be that girl again.

_Well, while you are deciding whether to stay or run let's straddle!_

It wasn't a decision I could make, I should leave but I couldn't. I wasn't prepared to sacrifice one second of his time, after all how much longer could this actually go on for?

I didn't fall back to sleep despite my best efforts. Edward, naked beside me, was too much of a distraction and as he was still comatose I got up and showered. I stood there for a while letting the piping hot water clear my head of any negative thoughts. It took a while but it worked. Feeling refreshed I dried off and I could see from the glorious sunshine outside it was a lovely day so I pulled on an already worn pair of denim shorts and a white sleeveless top. Hanging out here had its drawbacks I hated wearing worn clothes but I wasn't going to set up camp in his wardrobe.

_Not just yet anyway._

I crept out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. As I poured myself a glass of water I gazed outside, his view was fantastic, I slid open the door and went to stand on his balcony. The warmth of the sun on my face felt comforting and I leaned forward against the barrier for a few minutes, taking in the view of Central Park. I never really thought much about marriage, it was just too far in front, something I couldn't focus on but as I looked down at the Boat House I could imagine myself getting married there. In a private corner somewhere, nothing elaborate or spectacular, just simple and discreet.

_Ooh, we could marry Mr. Delicious. Go and ask him._

Oh yes what a conversation that would be, "Oh so, Edward, I was just checking out your view and hey Central Park's really cute. Fancy getting married there?" Cue a grown man running from his own apartment screaming, "lunatic," at the top of his lungs.

I decided to lie down on the lounger, but the sun was too bright and I didn't have any sunglasses with me so I rolled onto my side and curled up. Suddenly, I felt sleepy and allowed my eyes to close. When I opened my eyes I felt stiff and instantly swore.

_Fantastic, now you'll have sunburn down one side of your body. You IDIOT!_

As I focused, I realised I wasn't in the sun, I was still on the lounger but completely in the shade. I peered up and saw a large parasol opened, shielding me. I looked around and Edward was sitting on a chair with his feet up on the barrier.

"Morning." He shot me a smile; he was wearing a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved T-Shirt. He had sunglasses covering his eyes and succeeded in looking insanely sexy. "I didn't want to wake you. But, the sun's really hot and I wasn't sure how long you'd been out here so I opened the parasol. "

"Thanks. What time is it?" I sat up, stretching out my arms and legs.

"About eleven, I woke up a few hours ago and found you out here snoring your pretty little head off." He moved over to sit beside me on the lounger. "How long had you been up?"

"Really early, it was too sunny in your bedroom and I didn't like disturbing you." I leaned against him. "I love it out here; it's like your own secret garden."

Edward nodded. "You're back at work Monday, right?"

"Unfortunately yes. Why?"

"I was wondering if I could steal you tonight and tomorrow?" he asked nervously. I almost smiled as he started chewing on a fingernail. What on earth was he worrying about?

"What more than you already have? I'm thinking of asking Alice for a refund on my rent cheque." I giggled and nudged him playfully.

"That's a fair point actually. But I meant steal you out of the city–would you mind?"

"Oh...uh...okay, where?" My voice wobbled and he smiled as he heard the nerves in my response.

"Well, my parents always throw me a barbecue party for my birthday and I wondered if you wanted to come with me. We could head there this afternoon and I'll bring you home tomorrow night." He looked at me eagerly but I was confused.

"At your parent's house? I thought they lived in LA?"

Edward laughed. "They do live in LA, but they have a house here too. Not exactly here in the city, it's in the Hampton's."

"Oh right. Edward, if you have plans with your family you don't have to invite me. Wait! You said it's for your birthday? When is it your birthday?"

Edward ignored my question and shook his head. "Bella, I want you to come with me, trust me; it's not a big deal, just my parents and the guys perhaps. My nan will probably be there too. If you'd rather not go then I'll understand okay?" He looked at me waiting for my response.

"Won't they be upset if you bring along some strange girl?"

"I already told them you were coming," he answered sheepishly, shooting me a grin.

"You did? Well, then sure I'll come. That would be lovely. Thanks."

_Oh my goodness, Mr. Delicious wants you to meet his parents. Meet his parents and spend a weekend with **his** family at **his** family home for **his** birthday._

"Good. Would you mind if we headed over there in a few hours? My little sister's chomping at the bit to meet you." Edward laughed. "It's quite unusual for her. She's normally a little difficult."

"That's fine with me. I need to get some clothes and some bits and pieces from home. How are we getting there?"

"I've arranged a rental." He looked down. "What if you grabbed a few extra things?" he added quietly, still looking at the floor.

"For what?" I tried to catch his eye, but he still had the sunglasses on and his head hung low.

"Well, I'm here for another couple of weeks and I'd like to spend as much of that time with you. It seems silly to keep traipsing back and forth to your apartment. I have a maid, she does all my laundry so I could just get her to do some of your things too." He lifted his sunglasses up and looked at me hopefully.

_Wow...oh...wow._

"Okay," I replied.

I was completely floored, everything he did took me by surprise, and he was the sweetest guy I'd ever met. There was nothing arrogant or conceited about him, the way he was so unsure when he asked me to go with him to the Hampton's, or stay over night after night was so endearing. I was in big fucking trouble. I kissed his cheek softly and nestled against his shoulders. "One thing, Edward. When is your birthday?"

"Tomorrow, but I don't want you to get me anything. I remember you're a poor person, right?" He laughed.

"Oh please, as if I'm going to come with you to your parent's house to celebrate your birthday and not bring a gift." I shook my head at him in disgust. "Not a chance."

"Fine, Bella, but I'm not easily pleased." He nudged me playfully. "We'll probably need to leave about three-ish, is that okay?"

"Well, I'd better get shopping and packing." I winked and stood up. "I'll be back here for three."

"Yeah, okay." Edward stood and kissed me, his lips were pressed hard against mine and he pulled me close to him.

I had to pull away. "I'll be back soon" I smiled and began to step around him. Edward however, seemed to have other plans and he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Stay a little longer?" he murmured as his lips swept down my neck. "Please?"

_Oh, hell yeah we're staying._

More than a "little longer" later, I was muttering to myself as I got dressed. I now had a little over two hours to get Edward a birthday present, pack some clothes and get back here. I had no chance.

_It was so worth being late..._

"I do love hearing you converse with your inner voices." Edward was still lying on the bed. "I'm sorry I made you late. I'll swing by and pick you up from your apartment – that should give you a bit more time to find me a humdinger of a gift right?" Clearly sex agreed with him, he was in a very good mood.

"Hardly. I need to learn some self-control when I'm with you. You're a bad influence." I couldn't stop my mouth from breaking into a grin. If my lack of self-control was the only bad thing about this relationship then my God I liked it.

Edward laughed, standing up to walk over to me. Of course he had no clothes on so I had a hard time keeping my eyes on his face.

_But he's just so delicious–go on have a peek._

"I'll pick you up at three." He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed me.

"I'll try and be ready, but you're going to have to stop doing that or I'll never leave," I grumbled and slapped his backside with my hand.

"Ow. Jeez woman that hurt." He rubbed the spot I'd caught and grimaced.

"Wimp." I chuckled and kissed him quickly before leaving. "See you at three."

I visited store after store with absolutely no idea what to get him. I didn't want to get him clothes or something boring and predictable. I needed something different, fun but still casual. Regardless of how easy it was to forget, I had only known him for a matter of weeks. It was almost half past two and I had just about given up hope, if I didn't head back home now there was no way I'd be ready. I sighed in frustration and glanced into the window of a book store I was standing outside. There in the window, as if it was on display just for me, I saw _the_ perfect gift. I raced inside and bought it.

I raced home and barged into the apartment, shouting to the girls who were immediately at my side. I whizzed through the events of this morning and where I was about to go. Alice offered to pack some clothes for me and Angela took my gift and wrapped it while I quickly tidied myself up. I had no idea what to wear so I pulled out a pair of white linen trousers and a grey tank top. I slipped on a pair of pretty flip-flops and grabbed my denim jacket for later.

Luckily, my hair had dried wavy, all it took was a quick ruffle with my fingers to make it look presentable. I didn't have time to apply the war paint so I settled for a quick coat of lip gloss and I was ready to go. Alice had a bag of clothes and toiletries on the bed and the gift for Edward was on top.

With impeccable timing as always, I began to have one of my "moments" and felt terrified. I was going to stay at Edward's house. Where would we sleep? I mean we'd only known each other for two weeks wouldn't his family think I was a bit of a fast-receiver if we shared a room? Would they approve of me at all?

_Breathe, Bella, breathe._

A familiar voice in the apartment snapped me out of my panic filled stupor. Edward was already here and I could hear Angela and Alice chatting to him. I picked the bag and his gift up and walked out of the bedroom.

"So, Edward, apart from the odd flying visit, can we expect to see anything of our friend in the near future?" Alice was quizzing him with a stern look in her eye.

"Absolutely not." Edward shrugged and looked in my direction, smiling widely when he saw me. Angela giggled and a smile was also playing at the edge of Alice's mouth but she bit her lip in an attempt to hide it. "Besides, Alice, I'm sure you're too pre-occupied with Jasper at the moment, so it's probably for the best if I get to keep Bella right?"

"Fair enough, but just remember we love her too, you know?" Alice was unable to hold back the smile and Angela's giggle became a hysterical laugh.

Edward's smile faded and his mood seemed to shift quickly. He turned to me but his eyes were strained. "Ready?"

I nodded and he held out his hand to take my bag. I handed it over but kept the gift. "You'll get it tomorrow and not a minute before." I teased as he tried to grab it.

"I'm not getting my hopes up, that looks a little boring," he teased but it seemed something was bothering him. He opened the door for us and I called out a quick "see ya," to the girls and walked outside.

"It's the silver Cadillac." He inclined his head to a car parked across the street. I saw him glance around quickly before he followed me and put the bag into the trunk. He slipped behind the wheel and pulled away.

Edward was quiet as he drove. His eyes were narrowed and he was chewing on the inside of his mouth. I couldn't figure out the shift in his mood, a few hours ago he had been laughing and joking and now he seemed distant and annoyed about something.

"Are you okay?" I asked, not sure if I really wanted to know his answer.

He looked briefly at me and his face softened. "Yeah, sorry I was just thinking. I'm fine I promise." He smiled and his voice sounded sincere. "Are you?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You look uncomfortable that's all." He gestured at my posture and I realised I was sitting forward with my shoulders tense and my hands clasped tightly in my lap. I laughed and sat back in an attempt to relax. "Sorry, I just keep waiting for you to see sense and run for your life."

"You'll be waiting a long time, Bella," Edward said with no humour in his voice at all, he reached over and squeezed my hand before placing his fingers in mine and resting our hands on his leg.

We rode in silence for a little while. The traffic was busy and I could see Edward was getting a little frustrated. "God, I don't miss driving in this city," he muttered as we finally made it onto the I495. "If I can make up some time we should be there for five-thirty."

I didn't know why but I felt uncomfortable and almost nervous around him and unless I was mistaken he felt it too. I couldn't bear the awkward silence so I began firing questions about his family at him and by the time we'd been driving about an hour he seemed to have loosened up. We arrived at the house just as he had predicted, the car turned onto the drive and I smiled at the house. It was beyond lovely. There was a circular driveway in front of the house and a separate garage building was set to one side. Attached to the main part of the house there was a rectangular section with a low hanging roof which had dormer windows protruding upstairs. In front of the door were two pillars which supported the porch way. The whole house was rendered in a sand-stone coloured wash. Once I was done admiring the place I felt a sudden surge of nerves flood through me. I was more than delighted he'd invited me along but utterly terrified at the same time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading! I hoped you liked it. I'm trying to catch up on review replies, but if I miss any I apologise! **

**More soon,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N - Pre-read by Prettyflour. All mistakes are mine :)**

**Chapter 13 – Meet The Parents.**

**EPOV**

Shit, shit, shit. I was frantic. Had Bella heard what Alice said as we were getting ready to leave? _"Just remember, Edward, we love her too."_ I froze, because if she'd heard then I was in big trouble, big, big trouble. I couldn't deny that I loved this girl to death but I knew that Bella wasn't ready for that yet. If she knew how I felt she'd panic, I knew she would. This is just how it started with that creep, he'd gotten serious quickly and if it happened again it would terrify her. Bella was ruled by fear and I completely understood why, I needed to give her time, lots and lots of time. After what she had been through I doubted she'd ever let herself go completely and get close to anyone. Especially not someone like me. I was the worst kind of guy she could ever have met, Bella needed privacy and with me that would be difficult. Unfortunately, a lack of privacy could ruin the life Bella had built in New York.

I was so consumed by this panic and worry that I failed to notice how distant I'd become. I tried my best to reassure her everything was fine but I could see she wasn't fooled. Nonetheless she had let the issue slide and began bombarding me with questions about my family, I assumed if she had heard what Alice had said, she had thought nothing of it and I relaxed.

I took her bag from the trunk of the car and walked her to the house.

"No bag?" she asked.

"No, I come here a lot so I've got clothes and stuff in my room." I smiled and opened the door.

My brother and I had bought this house as soon as we could afford it. My mom had always loved the Hamptons and we wanted to thank them both for what they did for us when we were younger. All of us loved to escape here as often as we could. One thing we especially liked was that we were nowhere near the most exciting people around and no one was even remotely interested in us. The neighbours were all too busy buying more expensive cars and throwing the most exciting parties to notice who we even were.

I glanced into the lounge immediately to the right of the door but it was deserted so I set Bella's bag on the staircase and headed left into the dining room and kitchen. Through the French doors I could see my mother sitting outside and I could hear my sister splashing about in the pool. I pulled Bella through the kitchen and outside.

As soon as my mother saw us she stood and walked straight over, smiling. "Honey, I was wondering when you'd get here". My father and Caitlyn were messing around in the pool but they both stopped and got out to come and greet us.

"Guys, this is Bella. Bella, meet my parents and annoying little sister," I joked as a dripping wet Caitlyn came racing over excitedly.

"It's really nice to meet you." Bella smiled shyly.

"Hi, Bella, I'm so glad you came, Edward told me loads about you." Caitlyn tried to hug me put I put my hand on her head keeping her away.

"Get off, Caitlyn, you're soaked," I grumbled.

Bella and my parents chatted for a few minutes about New York and her father in Seattle and she seemed pretty at ease considering she was being thrown in at the deep end. However, Caitlyn asked if her mother was still in England and I felt Bella tense slightly.

"No, Mum died about six years ago. That's why I moved to Seattle with my father," she replied, and I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Oh sorry, Bella. Edward never mentioned that," Caitlyn mumbled apologetically before shooting me an accusatory glare.

"Have you two eaten?" my mother asked quickly. "We were planning to go to Alexis for dinner. But I can cook something up here if you'd prefer to stay in?"

I loved Alexis, but I wasn't sure what Bella would want to do. We'd only just arrived but my sister had already managed to bum her out a little by talking about her mother and now she was being asked to go out for dinner with my family in a very popular restaurant in the Hamptons.

"We'll just take Bella's bag upstairs and freshen up. We'll be back out soon and we can arrange something okay?"

"Of course it is. Caitlyn, come on I was enjoying kicking your butt at water polo." Dad motioned at us to go and he threw my sister back into the pool. My mom rolled her eyes at the shrieking and splashing and then went to sit down.

We walked back through the house and upstairs. There were four bedrooms upstairs, each with their own bathroom. My room and Emmett's were on the left of the landing and my parent's master suite and Caitlyn's were on the right. I closed the door behind us and moved to sit on the bed while Bella had a look around.

"Sorry about my sister, I didn't think she'd be so nosy. She usually doesn't say more than two words to anyone the first time she meets them. I hope she didn't upset you?" I looked at her intently, waiting for her to talk.

"No she didn't upset me; I just don't like talking about her. It brings back some not so nice memories, you know?" She moved and sat beside me. "This house is beautiful."

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled us down. "Yeah we like to come and hide away. It makes it easy to forget what it's like in the real world." I rolled above her and kissed her. She immediately caught onto my intent and tried to wriggle free.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Edward? Your parents and sister are downstairs." She couldn't move me off her and she laughed.

"They're outside, there's music playing, and Caitlyn's splashing about," I said, and began peppering her face and neck with kisses. "Besides we can be quiet."

"Absolutely not. This isn't the best idea you've had," she was protesting weakly and I sensed she wasn't convincing herself.

"I'm not moving, Bella. The longer you fight it, the longer it will take and then there's more chance of Caitlyn coming to look for us." There was something about kissing her that drove me wild, I could barely hold myself back to give her chance to speak.

Bella sighed. "I don't want to, Edward, we can't."

"You don't want to?" I pulled my head back and feigned hurt.

She quickly backtracked, "No of course I want to."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Do you want to or not?" I began kissing her again smelling an easy victory.

"I do want to, but we shouldn't."

"So you do want to?"

She sighed again. "Yes, Edward, I want to."

"Right well then let's go." I laughed and she didn't argue again.

**~o~**

Bella was already dressed and waiting for me nervously on the bed. She had the look of a guilty teenager and it made me laugh to myself as I pulled my clothes back on.

"What's Alexis by the way?" she asked playing with her bracelet.

"It's just a small restaurant we always go to. If you'd rather stay here it won't be a problem." I smiled.

"We can go, Edward. You want to go, right?" She frowned at me. "I don't want you to act differently just because of my messed up past."

"I just want to spend time with you, Bella. Whether that time is here, at a restaurant, or back in the city. Mom and Dad won't mind if we eat here." I sat beside her and kissed her nose softly. "Just don't feel like you're being forced into anything."

"I don't feel forced. I'd like to go. One thing I've learned with you, Edward, is you don't tend to hang out in places swarming with paparazzi and other 'superstars'." She paused for a second. "I take it Alexis isn't like that?"

"Definitely not." I grinned. "It's just a small family run restaurant with really amazing food."

"Then that sounds good to me." She slid off the bed and as soon as I had done the same she began re-arranging the covers. She caught me looking at her with a puzzled expression on my face. "Just in case anyone pops their head in here. I don't want them to think we were doing anything we shouldn't have been."

"Yeah because Mom and Dad know how I'm waiting until after I get married to lose my virginity." I rolled my eyes at her and Bella glared back.

I gave her a quick tour of the rest of the house and then took her back outside. We sat with my mother who was still watching Caitlyn and my dad splashing about. I told her we would be going to Alexis and she smiled excitedly.

"Oh lovely, we have standing reservations for 8.30pm so I'd better get moving." She shouted out to Caitlyn and my dad to get out of the pool and into the house and disappeared inside.

Bella and I sat together for a few minutes. I could hear the waves crashing against the beach and Bella heard it too. "This is beachfront?" She asked; her eyes wide and there was a huge smile on her face.

I nodded. "Come on, I'll show you. There's a path that leads straight from the house." I walked her down the yard and to the decked area at the bottom. There was a white fence that ran the perimeter and a small gate which opened onto a brush path down to the beach.

"Wow. That's incredible." She looked out in awe, "Can we take a walk later?"

"Let's go for one now." I began to open the gate but she shook her head.

"Your mum's getting ready now and then we'll be leaving. The beach looks beautiful and I'd like to take my time out there. What if we went when we got back?"

I looked at her and almost lost my trail of thought. The sun was setting and was shining on her dark hair; she was so fucking pretty it hurt. No not pretty. Bella was gorgeous, beautiful, amazing-those words did her more justice. I was starting to dread the tour; I honestly didn't think I'd be able to walk away from her for three months.

We walked back to the house silently. I could see her head tilted slightly listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the beach.

"It sounds even better when you're in the hot tub really late at night. You can't hear anything but the ocean." I told her, making a mental note to show her at some point.

"Is Emmett not coming for your birthday?" She asked quietly, still listening to the crashing.

"He's driving out here tomorrow with Rosalie. They've been sorting a few things out," I told her, and we sat back down by the pool to wait for the others to get ready. "They split up about six months ago, but they've agreed to try again."

"Were they together long?"

"About three years. She's thirty-eight and ready for living a quieter life. She really hated the touring and all the time they spent apart. They split when she asked him to choose between the band and her. He told her no way, but offered for her to come along with us instead. She refused and Emmett walked away." I shrugged and said, "He's not quitting the band but they're trying to compromise."

"But she knew the score when she met him right? I mean if spending time apart was a huge problem for her why would she get involved in the first place? You can't ask someone to choose between two things that they love. It's not fair." She smiled slightly. "Unless we're talking about a bigamist or something; then perhaps you could ask them to choose."

I laughed but I felt relieved. I had wondered if the amount of time I spent away from home would bother Bella. I knew how the travelling took its toll on relationships, romantic and otherwise. But the girl amazed me, nothing seemed to faze her, she took everything in her stride. Perhaps the hell she'd been through was responsible for that or maybe she wasn't as besotted with me as I was with her? We sat basking in the suns last rays until my mother appeared shortly before eight.

"Caitlyn and your father are just finishing up. We should be good to go in about five minutes." She sat next to Bella and started probing her for information again. "So, Bella, what brought you to New York? It's a bit of a move from California."

"I moved here with my friend Alice. I had a bit of a tough time and just decided to make a fresh start. I'd always loved New York."

"Do you get to England much? I bet it was tough moving all the way out here." There was no malicious snooping in my mother's questions but I could feel Bella's hand tense in mine so I intervened.

"Mom, stop with the Spanish inquisition, if you keep bombarding her with questions I'll never get her back here." I narrowed my eyes at her without Bella seeing and she immediately backed off.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," she said quietly.

Bella looked quickly at me and then back to my mother. "It's okay, there's a bit of a long story involved."

My sister skipped over and pulled a chair up close to Bella. "Is that Pandora, Bella? I've got one too. Can I look at your charms?" She reached over and grabbed Bella's arm and began dissecting each one. "I've not seen this one before – where did you get it?"

"Oh, that was the first one my mother got me. The bracelet was an eighteenth birthday present and she got me that charm with it. Her plan was to buy me a different one each Christmas and Birthday until it was full. After she died, my best-friends sort of adopted the tradition."

"I really like this one, is it still available?" The charm Caitlyn was looking at a silver charm with a symbol on either side.

"I don't know, my mother said it was the symbol for my birth sign, Virgo," Bella told her.

"I'd love that one. I'm a Virgo too, Bella." Caitlyn seemed completely at ease with Bella and although I knew she was amazing but my sister usually refused to trust anyone else's judgement.

"Right shall we get going?" My Dad appeared by the back door and we all stood to leave.

I felt Bella's hand pull me back slightly and I turned to face her. "Do I need to change? I feel a little underdressed."

"It's a really casual place, Bella, trust me once we're there you'll see what I mean. That's one of the reasons why we like going – no 'plastic fantastic's'." I gave her a wink and then kissed her quickly. "You look perfect, you always do."

I saw my mother and sister exchange a quick glance that screamed, "aw" and I smiled in response. I wasn't being a sleazebag – she did always look perfect. Effortless and natural.

"Edward, do you want to take the rental or shall we go in the Escalade?" Dad asked as we walked through the house.

"Either, Dad, but I'll drive so you and Mom can have a bottle of something nice," I offered. "There might be more room in your car though."

I drove us to the restaurant and made sure Bella got in the front, it was a good job because Caitlyn never stopped talking to her. It was, "Bella this," and, "Bella that," I could see my parents smiling. This was so unlike her, I knew she'd like Bella if she gave her a chance. But she was very unwelcoming when she wanted to be and it usually took more than a few hours to get her talking like this.

Alexis, was a small beachfront restaurant that was too far from the main part of town to attract too much attention from the paparazzi. We had been coming for years and knew the owners well. The main dining area was covered with a canopy of ivy, entwined around a lattice. There were fairy lights sparkling from among the leaves. Inside, the tables were all positioned around a water fountain in which Mr. and Mrs. Alexis asked you to throw loose change. They had lost a daughter to cancer a few years back and anything collected in the fountain was donated to the hospice in which she died. To keep a low profile we were always seated in the corner and out of sight of the main diners. The table was ready and we were greeted warmly as we arrived.

My parents ordered wine for themselves and Bella, and Caitlyn and I had soda. I watched Bella look around the room smiling, it was hard not to see the charm this place had.

I rested my hand on her leg under the table and listened as Caitlyn began to gush to Bella about her upcoming party. While we waited for our meal, I was delighted with how at ease Bella appeared to be, my parents and sister were all talking to her like they had known her for years.

As usual, the food was incredible and as we waited for dessert Caitlyn followed Bella to use the bathroom. As I expected, the minute we were alone my mother gushed about my girlfriend.

"Edward, she's lovely, I really like her. And you know she must be something special the way Caitlyn has taken to her." Her face was beaming and it made me smile in response. "Isn't she lovely, Carlisle?"

Dad nodded in agreement. "She seems great, Edward."

"I told you she was. I'm sorry about earlier, Mom, Bella went through some pretty awful crap back in England and Seattle and it's really left its mark on her." I tried to explain as best as I could without telling her the story. I hated keeping things from my parents but this wasn't my secret to tell. Bella had trusted me enough to share it and I wasn't going to break that trust.

"Oh sorry, Edward. I hope she didn't think I was being snoopy."

"Don't worry." I smiled to reassure her.

"How does she feel about the tour?" Dad asked and it immediately put a downer on the atmosphere.

I shrugged. "I only know I'm going to miss her like mad. We haven't really talked about it much."

"She could always fly out to a couple of places with you?" my Mother suggested hopefully.

"I've thought about that, but Bella wouldn't be able to afford it and there's no way she'd let me pay." I smiled wryly. "She's pretty stubborn about it actually. I didn't even know until last night but her father is Charlie Swan – from Dalton West Pharmaceuticals – so she probably has access to more money then we do, but she said she wants to earn her own living and won't take advantage of what her father's achieved."

My dad nodded approvingly. "Nothing wrong with that, Edward, it's a shame more people don't have that attitude, this society is saturated with free-loaders. At least you can be sure she's not interested in you for financial reasons."

I didn't get chance to agree. Bella and my sister were coming back over to the table. I watched her walk over and noticed how every man in the room glanced in her direction discreetly. I wanted to jump up and tell them she was with me, and to keep their eyes on their own dates, but I didn't. I just smiled smugly because I was the one she was here with, and I was the one who got to take her home.

After we finished eating it was close to ten and we headed straight back to the house. I parked up and told my parents' we were going for a walk on the beach. Caitlyn's eyes immediately lit up.

"Can I come? I love the beach at night."

"No," I answered and took Bella's hand.

"Aw come on, Edward, I-"

"Caitlyn, Edward said no and it's late. Leave them alone. You'll see Bella tomorrow, she's staying for Edward's party." My sister continued protesting as my father ushered her into the house.

We walked around the side and through the garden to the gate to the beach. I took off my shoes and left them on the decking. Despite there being few lights along the beachfront, the sky was clear and the moonlight reflected off the ocean and lit the beach up magnificently. I led the way down the narrow path onto the sand and towards the waterfront.

"You're not going in?" I saw her look at me in shock.

"Not for a swim but I like to walk through it. Watch out though it'll be freezing." I felt her drag her feet and just continued to tow her closer to the sea.

I waded through the shallow surf and Bella kept as far away as our entwined hands would allow, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Even in the moonlight she looked stunning and I started to feel romantic, almost considering telling her exactly how I felt. _"So, Bella I know we've only known each other for two weeks but I thought you should know I'm crazy in love with you and I'm considering pulling out of the tour because I can't bear to leave you here.'"_ On second thoughts, if I told her that she'd probably walk back to Manhattan tonight.

"Thanks for inviting me, Edward. Your parents and sister are lovely, so normal. I was surprised how close you all seem." She looked at me and stopped walking. "I get the impression you don't keep things from them?"

"I suppose not," I said.

"But because of me you are." She sighed and shook her head. "I hate that."

"Bella, what happened to you is your business. I won't say anything to anyone unless you want me to. You can trust me with that, I promise." I moved close to her and wrapped my arms around her. She always smelled incredible, her shampoo maybe or perhaps her perfume.

"I do trust you, Edward. I just don't want to be the reason you keep something from your parents." She ran her hands up to my neck and I could feel how cold her hands were. The temperature had dropped but I had been too pre-occupied with her to notice anything else.

"Bella, you don't _have_ to tell them anything. If you want me to explain then I will. Just think about it, I have every intention of bringing you back as often as I can so we'll have plenty of opportunities to tell them." I kissed her forehead.

We started to walk again and I gently rubbed one of her cold hands to warm it a little. I tried to find out as much as I could about her; the conversation flowed easily, being with her was so effortless and I was engrossed in every word she had to say.

"What do you miss most about England?" I knew it was difficult for her to talk about home, but I asked anyway.

"Just my mum. I love New York so much more than I ever did England, it would be nice to never have to move again." Her voice was tinged with sadness and she dropped her head. The bastard had completely overtaken her life. She was already resigned to leaving a place she loved because she expected him to find her again at some point. I tried to change the subject. "What's your favourite part of the city?"

"Well I am becoming a fan of Fifth Avenue as a matter of fact." She chuckled and kissed me. "Seriously though, it's Central Park. I love how it can transport you from being in the heart of a bustling, noisy city to a completely different world. I try to run around the reservoir at least a few times a week and I love Shakespeare Gardens, if I can't be bothered to run then I use that as my escape from reality. Sorry I'm rambling." She grinned.

"I could listen to you talk all night. Of course that's a little to do with your accent. You have no idea what that does to me," I admitted, and she laughed.

It was nice to see her like this. I could see a few glimpses into the real Bella. The walls she'd built around herself for so many years kept her hidden well. I understood why, but I wanted to be the person who could break through them, give her a life back. Although, I could just as easily take it away and we both knew this was going to be difficult. "We'd better turn around, it's a pretty long way back and you're cold."

She nodded, her eyes looked heavy. I remembered she'd hardly slept last night so I tried to be a gentleman. "Piggyback?" I asked and encouraged her to jump up. She giggled and did, wrapping her legs around me tightly.

"Thanks – don't drop me, Edward," she mocked. "Are you looking forward to tomorrow?"

"Now you're here, I am. Usually, I try not to make a big deal out of it." I tried to walk as quickly as I could, but even though she was tiny and weighed barely anything, the sand made it hard going and I began to blow.

She had her face nuzzled in my neck and her breath was giving me goose bumps.

"I'm sorry Bella, my legs are dead – can I put you down?"

Without a word she slid down my back and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Are you saying I'm a fat ass? That could give me a complex you know." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Bella, you know I think you're perfect. I love your ass, I can't keep my hands or my eyes off it, or any other part of your body for that matter." I turned to face her and kissed her, we were both clearly in the same mood and the kiss quickly intensified. I felt her hands run up to my hair and her fingers start to play with the strands. After a few minutes her hands slowly dropped and started to untie the strings at the front of my shorts. "What are you doing?" I breathed against her mouth and she laughed. I was a wonderful raspy laugh that went straight to my groin.

"Sex on the beach; that's every girl's fantasy isn't it? Unless you'd rather we stop?" Her hands were tracing my stomach underneath my shirt, the tips of her fingers slipping into the waistband of my shorts. I looked down at her and she had a wicked glint in her eyes.

"God, no I don't want to stop."

I let her pull my shorts down and then did the same to her trousers and panties. She pushed me slightly on my chest and I sat down, glancing quickly around to make sure we were alone. Luckily we were because I doubt I could have stopped if I wanted to. I pulled Bella on top of me and continued to kiss her, groaning at the sensation as I filled her.

I sat up and pulled her legs around my waist, holding her face so I could kiss her as we moved together. The cool air, the danger of being caught, and just the fact it was with Bella, made this all the more thrilling.

It was a little after three in the morning when I last checked the time, Bella was already fast asleep and I had been happy to let her breathing lull me into unconsciousness. I woke up alone; Bella was nowhere to be found in my room so I dressed and went to look for her.

As I stumbled sleepily into the kitchen Emmett and Rosalie were in the doorway watching my sister larking about outside.

"Happy birthday, Bro." Emmett winked and Rosalie smiled.

"Thanks. You know where Bella is?" I walked to the counter and poured myself a cup of coffee.

Emmett inclined his head through the door. "Sitting outside talking to Mom. She has been for a while."

"She's really nice, Edward. I can see why you're so smitten." Rosalie winked and turned to Emmett. "Looks like I might have some female company on tour huh?"

"I doubt it." I shook my head and walked outside and straight into the arms of my sister. The sun was really bright and I could vaguely make out Bella and my mother sat on the swing together at the bottom of the garden.

"Happy Birthday, Edward." Caitlyn bounced up and down, "Can I go and get your presents? I can't wait to see you open them."

"Sure, kiddo, just give me a minute to wake up, yeah?" I ruffled her hair and walked over to Bella. I smiled at them and they both stood up grinning.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart, let me go grab your things. Be back in a few minutes." My mother planted a kiss on my cheek and briskly made her way back into the house.

"Morning you." I hugged Bella and kissed her, she tasted of orange juice and she had a sad look in her eyes. "What made you get up so early?" I moved and sat down on the swing, Bella did the same and I twirled her loose hair around in my fingers.

"Happy Birthday first of all." She chuckled once but then she sighed and looked down at her fingers nervously. "I wanted to talk to your mother...alone."

"About what?"

"I told her about James, Edward. I thought she should know what you were getting yourself into. You know, try and talk some sense into you." She smiled weakly.

"W-why?" I stammered. I was absolutely stunned. When she had mentioned telling my parents I never thought for a second she meant she would tell them this weekend. It wasn't an issue for me, I knew my parents and they would be more than sympathetic, in fact I could predict Mom would be horrified by the whole thing.

"Look, Edward, I can see how close you are to all of your family and I didn't want you to have to keep anything from them. Besides, if they understand why I get all freaked out sometimes they might not assume I have mental problems." I could see she was trying to be light hearted about the whole thing, but I also knew how hard it was for her to tell me let alone my mother. Yet she _had_ told her, for me, for my family and that small gesture made my chest swell with pride. I could tell her that I loved her now right? "Edward, are you angry? You've gone quiet, I'm sorry if you didn't want them to know."

"No, no, Bella. I'm not angry at all. I didn't expect you to tell them, it wasn't anyone's business but yours. My mom would have understood why I didn't tell her." I hugged her and swung us back and forth on the swing.

"Oh crap. I left your present upstairs." She leapt up quickly. "I'll be right back."

I watched her jog into the house, kicking myself for chickening out again. That would have been a nice moment to tell her, in the sunshine, on my birthday, sitting on a swing and listening to the waves crash on the beach.

Wow I was turning into some hopeless romantic, picturing the perfect settings to tell the girl I've known for three weeks that I love her. I needed to do something manly and get the testosterone flowing again. Before I could go and do just that I was joined by my mother on the swing. She looked at me, waiting to see if I knew that she knew.

"Bella told me that she'd had a chat with you. What do you have to say?" I looked at her, hopeful that I hadn't reassured Bella it would be fine only for my mother to be horrified that I was involved with it all. As soon as I thought it I knew my first instinct had been correct. My mother's face fell and her eyes were sad.

"It's terrible, Edward, the poor thing. How on earth has she put up with it for all those years? I can't imagine what it must be like for her." Her face turned a little serious. "You'll have to be careful with her. What she's been through already is bad enough and she doesn't need you to put her through it again, especially if this is only a short-term thing for you."

Short term thing? Was she blind, "Trust me, Mom, this isn't a short term thing. Not for me at least. I've never met anyone like her, she's incredible. I know it sounds crazy, I mean I've only known her for a matter of weeks but I'm, I mean I ..." I trailed off, still unable to say the words out loud.

"You love her?" My mother broke out into a huge smile. "Well then she'll be fine. I'm glad you can see she's too good to lose. I take it you haven't told her that yet?"

"No, definitely not. It would be too much too soon for her. So don't mention this little conversation will you?"

She shook her head and said no more as we were approached by the rest of my family and Bella. I could see them all bearing gifts and I took them gratefully, thanking them all for the gadgets and clothes I received. I grinned as Bella held hers out; I did the usual feel on top of the paper and frowned. It felt like a book, I ripped open the paper and looked at the paperback she had given me. As soon as I read the title I burst out laughing.

Caitlyn leaned over and read it aloud, "_What to do, when you're girl is a lunatic. The comprehensive guide for all men_." I saw her look at me and Bella and then to my mother in confusion. Everyone's faces mirrored hers except for Emmett who was chuckling to himself.

"I thought it might be useful." Bella laughed and neither of us said anything to enlighten the others, I knew Emmett would fill them in later.

As I was the birthday boy and Bella was a guest, we got to spend the rest of the morning lounging around, while my mother was barking orders at the others in preparation for the barbecue. I noticed she was preparing a lot of food and putting out a lot of plates and glasses for a 'small gathering', knowing my mother, she would have extended the invitations to more family members and more friends.

Bella and I took another stroll along the beach, there were a few more people about this morning, but thanks to my shades and hat no one noticed me, although as I was growing accustomed to, Bella did draw quite a lot of looks from the men we passed. I resisted the urge to punch their lights out and settled for letting them see me plant a kiss on her.

"God you're such a caveman," Bella muttered in response as we sloshed through the surf, the waves breaking over my ankles, the water was typically cool but it was a nice relief from the sun which was boring onto us.

When we ambled back to the house I decided to have a quick glance through Bella's book. We sat by the pool and laughed hysterically at some of the points the book made. One section in particular was highly amusing.

"_What to do if your girlfriend talks to herself. There are of course different levels of behaviour for this particular problem, so don't be too hasty in throwing her ass out of the door. Take the time to listen to what she has to say and see if it is done in a practical, reasoning scenario, rather than a clearly cuckoo one instead. Your girl could just be meticulous and organised, talking to herself only as an internal checking system._

_Should your girlfriend answer her own internal questions then we have just one piece of advice for any typical man in this situation. RUN YOU FOOL RUN_."

I could barely speak, I had tears rolling down my eyes and Bella was shaking her head. I could see that she was trying to look offended but unable to completely hide the smile from her face.

"I guess I made a mistake in buying you that book. It's just going to convince you once and for all that I belong in a padded cell." She chuckled and reached out to snatch the book away from me playfully. "I think I should read through this and carefully select what you are and are not allowed to read."

"It's going to take more than that book to get rid of me, Bella. I like a challenge and what more of a challenge could I face than a girl who can hold a conversation with her inner voices?"

We continued to read other parts of the book for an hour or so and at about two-thirty, I discovered the actual scale of the party. As I expected, my nan, Garrett, Seth and his parents arrived just as the food was on the grill. They were soon followed by Aunt Carmen and Uncle Eleazar who brought along their children, Peter and Charlotte. My cousins were twins and the same age as Caitlyn so they all immediately began goofing around in the pool. Just half an hour later, the rest of the guests had arrived and almost all of my immediate family were present.

I introduced Bella to everyone, she was charming and managed to intrigue everyone the second they heard her accent. I'm sure she tired of explaining where she was from and how long she'd been back in the States, but she was perfectly polite and never faulted. The most dreaded meet and greet was my nan. She was my father's mother and although I loved her to bits, this woman was a battle-axe when you first met her. She was blunt and never minced her words, if there was anything about you that she didn't like she would call you on it immediately.

I clutched Bella's waist and took her over to my nan who was sitting with Mom and Aunt Carmen, my father's sister. "Nan, this is, Bella." I motioned to Bella and waited for her reaction.

The old woman looked at me and then at Bella, who looked a little scared and I couldn't blame her.

"Who's Bella?" she barked at me, her nose turning up in disapproval.

"I told you about Bella remember?" My mom placed a hand on my nan's arm. "Bella is Edward's girlfriend, and she works as a nanny in Manhattan."

"Nanny? You told me he was in love with a bartender from the city. What happened to her?" My nan scoffed and shot me a dirty look.

I groaned internally and my mother intervened again. "That's Bella. She works a few nights a week over at Art's Bar. You can remember Edward's friend? It was Mr. Reid's place, his son runs it now." I don't think Mom had registered what Nan had said about me being in love, but I could tell Bella heard it. Her eyes had flashed quickly to mine and then away again.

Luckily though, my nan seemed to approve. Her face softened and she actually cracked a smile in Bella's direction. "Oh, I see. Nice to meet you, young lady. I like a girl who's not afraid of hard work." I saw her appraise Bella's appearance. "I can see why my grandson's so taken with you. Very beautiful girl you are."

"Thank you," Bella mumbled, embarrassed.

"You're British? Lovely place, I was lucky enough to visit there before we had the kids. I always wanted to go back someday. Where were you from?"

My mother and I looked at each other in astonishment. My nan was never this polite with strangers. She and Bella chatted for a long time and eventually I drifted away to talk to the other guests.

The afternoon and evening flew by and when it was approaching eight, I told everyone that we would have to leave. They objected and told us to stay, even Bella tried to convince me to stay behind and she would get a train back into the city. I ignored her protests and thanked everyone for coming. I said goodbye and walked Bella to the car, we hadn't really had chance to talk after my nan's little revelation and I felt the same as I had when we drove out here Saturday afternoon.

Once, we were driving Bella was quiet too, I glanced over at her, but she was gazing out of the passenger window into the darkness, seemingly in a world of her own. When I could stand the silence no longer I asked her what was wrong, "Something bothering you?" I waited anxiously for her response, but she didn't say anything for a minute which made me feel even worse.

Finally she turned to face me, smiling. "No, not bothering me. Just wondering about a few things." She began to turn away again.

"Bella, about what my nan said. You know, about my mom telling her I was in love with you. I'm sorry; I can tell it freaked you out. It was just women talking; my mom's a hopeless romantic and I w..." I stopped, unable to say that it wasn't true, but not able to tell her it was either.

"I understand, Edward. Your mother just got a little carried away when she told your nan about us. Its fine honestly, I'm not freaking out." She put on her best smile and squeezed my leg but I could see straight through her.

I nodded and looked back at the road; I could feel her eyes burning into my face, searching for what I was really thinking. I couldn't have this conversation now so I changed the subject quickly. "When do you finish for the summer?"

Bella answered and the conversation continued a little awkwardly for the rest of the drive home. I dropped Bella off outside the building and went to park the rental. I was only gone about ten minutes but as I rode back up the elevator I felt extremely on edge. If I didn't tell her what was really bothering me then this awkwardness would continue and I couldn't stand that.

Bella was standing out on the balcony, looking out over Central Park. I moved behind her and kissed her neck. "About my mother telling Nan I was in love with you," I began to whisper.

"I know, Edward, please can-" Bella spun around and protested but I clamped my hand over her mouth.

"Let me finish, Bella. I didn't know my mother would tell my nan that, if I did then we would have had this conversation before the party." I paused and took a deep breath. "I know it's absolutely crazy, but these past few weeks have been fantastic and it's all because of you. My mother shouldn't have said that to my nan, but to anyone who knows me, it's pretty obvious exactly how I feel about you."

Bella's face froze, she was shocked but I couldn't distinguish her feelings behind it, happy or horrified? I had no idea. "What are you saying, Edward?" Her voice croaked nervously.

"I love you, Bella. I'm absolutely head over heels in love with you." I cringed at my cheesy lines. I felt like one of those uber feminine guys who spill guts to their girlfriends about their feelings and then go and write poetry about it.

"Edward. I don't know what to... I mean I wasn't expecting that ..." She could barely string a sentence together, her breathing was unsteady and she went quiet for a minute while she composed herself. "Edward, I've had an incredible few weeks with you too. I can honestly say, I've never wanted to be with anyone as much in my life but I just wasn't expecting you to say that, I wasn't expecting things to happen this quickly and I don't know if I can..."

Shit, I'd terrified her. I quickly tried to reassure her, convince her that I wasn't turning into James. "No, Bella, listen. I didn't tell you because I wanted to hear you say it back. I'm sorry if I scared you, I just needed to explain how I felt." I felt like a complete moron, I dropped my face and rested my forehead on hers. "I'm really sorry."

Bella put her finger on my lips and smiled. "Don't be sorry, Edward. I'm really glad you told me. I'm just a bit of a train wreck I guess. I always said I'd never let myself get close to anyone and it's just hard for me to accept that I have. I promise I'm not scared or freaked, I just need a bit of time."

"Bella, take as much time as you need don't feel overwhelmed by this please."

I was furious with myself for actually telling her; I knew exactly what her reaction would have been and I fucking did it anyway. Despite the fact that I knew she wouldn't be able to say it back; it still stung when I saw just how much it bothered her that I had said it. I attempted to put the doubts to the back of my mind for now and act normal. I didn't bring it up again for the rest of the night and neither did Bella. I couldn't sleep for hours after Bella had drifted off; I was replaying the nightmarish scene in my head over and over again. Trying to work out how I could have been honest with her without pushing her further away. I had no idea how many hours had passed before I managed to switch off and fall asleep but when I woke up I was alone.

"Damn it."

I rolled over and checked my phone; it was 11:00am. Bella hadn't even woke me when she was leaving for work. That was not a good sign and a let out a huge sigh of frustration as I checked my voicemail. When I heard the one message was from Bella, I braced myself for the "Sorry, Edward, but I don't think we should see each other." However, when I actually listened to it I suddenly felt as high as a kite.

_"I love you, too, Edward."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN So they did share the three magic words pretty quickly, but at least Bella said it back...I couldn't leave poor old Edward hanging lol.**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing you guys are brilliant!**

**Bye for now,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Pre-read by Prettyflour but any mistakes are mine :)**

**Chapter 14 - Wow!**

**BPOV**

For the past few weeks I had tried with ragged determination to avoid all use of the word, "wow". However, it seemed that whenever Edward was part of the equation all other words failed me and I was left with that one word. Last night had been no different and at this very moment I sounded like a stuck record. The only word resonating in my head was indeed, "wow." Over and over again I could hear it and it still couldn't come close to describing the events that had unfolded over the weekend. Since Edward and I met I refused to consider where this was actually going and how he felt about me. Never in my wildest dreams had I honestly thought that this could turn into something.

I was a bundle of nervous energy and wide awake when the sun began to rise. I was nowhere near ready to face Edward so I crept from his apartment and went for a trusted jog in my safe haven. As I ran I was oblivious to everything around me; in fact the characters on the Alice in Wonderland Monument in Central Park could have invited me to join their tea party and I would never have noticed. I was in a daze and I couldn't make sense of any of it. The way I had acted last night was downright pathetic. _Edward Cullen – AKA Sex God – AKA Mr. Delicious_ told me, _Isabella, hears voices and has serious lunatic tendencies, Swan,_ that he loved me. There was no reason for me to doubt his sincerity, he'd had nothing to gain by telling me and he found himself faced with an idiot who probably resembled an ice sculpture. I had been unable to speak, physically unable to say it back. Of course I knew I had fallen for him and when I heard he felt the same I almost burst with happiness, but in typical Bella fashion I clammed up.

There were two reasons behind it; the first was obviously James. Since he had walked into my life I had been fighting everyone away and with theexception of Alice and Angela, had never let anyone even remotely close. The other was far more simple; I had never said, "I love you," to anyone other than my family. I hadn't been with anyone that I felt that way about. So when Edward came along I felt things I had never felt before in my life. Just the thought of admitting how I felt was pretty damn terrifying and I hadn't imagined I would get the opportunity to say it to him.

Inside, I wanted to scream, "I love you," but I couldn't do it, so I bumbled out some pathetic excuse and completely cold-shouldered him for the rest of the night. I felt so disappointed with myself and was muttering aloud just how stupid I was. I'd been running for so long my legs were starting to feel unsteady, I walked slowly through the park and headed to the Ross' house; my mind still turning over and over.

_Come on, just think about not admitting how you feel and letting him walk away. Can't even imagine that can you? Well, if it's too hard to imagine, why are you risking it actually happening? Life is for living and you can't hide from James forever, so enjoy your life here for as long as you possibly can. Be straight with him and be straight with yourself._

As I exited the park it was almost seven and I decided there was something I had to do. I stopped outside the house and pulled out my phone.

_Do it. Take a chance for once in your life and tell him._

I took a long deep breath and dialled, I barely gave the machine time to beep before blurting out, "I love you," into the phone and then hanging up.

The morning dragged, I never had my phone more than a centimetre from my side, ready to snap it open as soon as Edward called me back. I was a mess, waiting around for the call was torture and when the phone finally rang I lunged at it, almost knocking poor little Ben over in the process.

"Hello?" I breathed anxiously, desperate to hear his voice.

"Hey, I think I can remember you. It's, Bella, the girl who is supposed to be my room-mate right?" Alice quipped sarcastically, and my heart sank. "So how was your weekend with the in-laws? D'ya have fun?"

"Hi, Alice. Well, the weekend was great but at this very moment I'm kind of flipping out. Are you free after I finish work? I really need to talk." I sighed.

Alice immediately stopped teasing and her tone softened, "That's fine, Bella. Are you okay? Talk to me, I can swing by the house if you like?"

"No I'll come by straight after work." I bit my lip. I was gutted because he'd not called back. I couldn't have messed this up could I?

"I sense we need alcohol? A glass of something nice and strong will be ready for you." She paused for a second, debating whether or not to ask what she wanted to. "Bella, are you and Edward okay?"

"Please, Alice, not now, it's sending my head into a spin just thinking about it. We'll talk later yeah?" I waited for her to acknowledge and then hung up with a groan. I saw Ben watching me with a smile on his face. "I hope you're paying attention, little fella. This is exactly how not to be when it comes to relationships." I ruffled his hair and sat down to help him with his building blocks. My phone rang a few seconds later. "Can't it wait, Alice? I'm working here."

"Um...it's not Alice, sorry. Do you want me to hang up if you're busy?"

_Holy crap it's Edward. Panic, panic, panic._

"No, no definitely not. Sorry," I stammered down the phone. My heart was pounding right out of my chest. I tried to act casual and not sound like some nervous teenager.

"Why didn't you wake me this morning? I only woke up a few minutes ago so I've only just got your message." His voice was gentle but unsure and he sounded so sweet.

"Oh right." I didn't know what else to say and digressed back into being a pathetic moron without the capabilities of stringing an actual sentence together.

"Look, Bella, I meant every word I said to you last night. I just hope I didn't guilt you into telling me the same. I can imagine how hard it is for you and I for one wasn't expecting anything to happen this quick." He started talking at ninety miles an hour and I could barely get a word in to stop him.

"Edward, please shut up for a minute. Can I just say something?" I started to hyperventilate, could I say it?

"Sorry." He chuckled sheepishly. "Go on."

I bit the bullet and said it quickly before I could chicken out again. "I love you." As soon as I spoke I was wearing a ridiculous grin on my face; completely surprised how good it felt to say it to him in person. Well maybe not in actual person, but still, it was one step up from his voice mail. "I love you and I'm not just saying it in reaction to last night. I mean it." My smile began to fade as there was a brief silence on the end of the line.

Finally Edward laughed. "Wow, aren't we a corny pair? What time do you get off work? "

I laughed too, a little too hysterically for the mood but it was either that or cry and I had no intention of letting him see that just yet. "I'll be finished around six, but I'm nipping home to see Alice. Can I see you afterwards?"

"I can't wait. But just remember, Bella, the later you get here the later you'll be up." The seduction in Edward's voice sent goosebumps down my back and I almost did a runner out of the house and straight to his apartment.

_Yes let's do it, we can tie the kid up right? He can't talk yet so he won't tell on us, don't worry._

"You can keep me up as long as you want." I giggled and looked down at Ben yanking on my leg eagerly. "Sorry, Edward, but I have to go, Ben needs me."

"I understand, Bella. Right now there's another man who has your undivided attention." He was laughing again; "I'll see you later. Oh and, Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." With that he'd hung up and I almost fell over.

_Wow._

The rest of the day passed by quickly. I was wearing a cheesy smile on my face and almost skipping around as I walked. Usually, it took time for people to get to know the real me. Edward, however, had just breezed straight in, making me feel so at ease with who I was.

I jogged back to my apartment and had barely got a foot through the door before Alice appeared at my side with a glass of wine.

"I have plenty of stronger stuff in case you need it. I just figured you should be able to talk before you get completely wasted." She pushed me to the couch and sat down waiting for me to explain.

"So?" she finally demanded after I sat in silence for a while.

"Okay, okay. The weekend was brilliant and his family are _so_ lovely. We went for a meal and then walked on the beach for ages. It was his birthday on Sunday and his mum threw him a little party; she invited some of his friends and family. It was really nice, Alice; everyone was so normal and lovely. Because I was working this morning, we drove home last night and..." I stopped talking, feeling rather nervous about telling her much more.

"Oh come on, Bella. Give me the rest, I know there's more–why were you freaking out when I rang?" She glared at me ferociously and I sighed, finishing off my glass of wine as fast as I could.

"Well after we got back to his place, well...um...he...um." I couldn't get it out and I groaned.

"Oh come on, Bella, spit it out, it can't be that bad surely." She rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Well, Edward sort of said...I mean he did say that he um...that he loved me." I could barely hear my own voice so I wondered if Alice heard what I'd said.

"Oh my God." Clearly she heard me; her mouth fell open and almost crashed through the floor. "Wow, he actually said that. Already I mean? Wow."

I didn't reply, I just nodded and poured myself another large glass of wine and drank it straight back.

"That's so great, Bella." She grinned briefly before scowling at me suspiciously. "What did you do? I do hope you were more composed than you are now."

I shook my head in shame. "No I was pretty much the same as I am now. I completely panicked and waffled on and on about God only knows what." I looked back at her, preparing for the onslaught that was to follow. "I never said it back; I pretended to be asleep and left before he woke up this morning. I did leave him a voicemail this morning though."

"Tell me you're kidding, please, Bella." Alice's voice had taken on a tone of disbelief and she covered her eyes with one hand.

"No, not kidding I'm afraid. I was shit scared, Alice, you know I've never said that before and I was in bits. I didn't know what else to do," I whined at her and threw back another glass of wine.

"So let me get this straight–a man who you are completely crazy about tells you that he loves you and the only thing you have done almost twenty four hours later is leave him a voicemail to say you love him too?" she was exasperated. "For all you know, he hasn't listened to it yet and thinks you're completely blowing him off."

"No he did hear it. He called me this afternoon and I told him then too. But I haven't said it to his face yet." I couldn't bring my eyes to meet hers. I could already picture her expression clearly. "I know I'm an idiot but I freaked out."

"Why? What's the problem, Bella? You love him and now you know he loves you too." I felt her hand softly squeeze my shoulder.

"What's the problem? Come on, Alice, I should never have let this happen. It's beyond selfish of me to-"I began to argue but Alice cut me off sharply.

"To be happy? To enjoy your life? That is not being selfish, Bella, that's your God given right. This is _your_ life to live as you please and you have to stop letting James control your every move. I know how terrifying it is for you looking around every corner to make sure he's not there, but you only live once." Alice poured me another glass of wine. "If Edward makes you happy then don't push him away."

I nodded. I didn't think I'd be able to walk away now regardless. "It's just hard, really bloody hard."

"I know and Edward knows. He knows everything and he's still here. Have a little faith in him." She scooted closer and gave me a hug. This girl was my rock, whenever I needed her she was there no questions asked. Not once in all the years I had known her had she ever just told me what I wanted to here, she only spoke the truth and she was the best friend that anyone could ever have. "Are you not seeing him tonight? You'd better not have come here to hide, Bella." From being best-friend she had now turned back into scalding schoolteacher.

"No, I told him I was coming here for a chat with you and I'd be back later. Although, I don't think he'll be expecting me to turn up drunk and teary." I sniffed and wiped my eyes.

"Well then tidy yourself up and get your butt over there." She waved her hands at me in a shooing motion and I obeyed her quickly. Alice wasn't the kind of girl you argued with, if I'd refused then she would have carried me away herself.

I wasn't quite ready for facing Edward yet, so I showered and took my time getting ready. I had a seriously depleted wardrobe, half of my stuff had found its way over to his apartment and it left me with little in the way of choice. I settled on a pair of jeans and a sleeveless hoodie which zipped up at the front. The four huge glasses of wine helped me relax and I began to pull myself together. It was after eight when I left the apartment and I had a slow walk over to Edward's, calling him as I neared his building.

He answered quickly and as soon as I heard his voice I felt the nerves dissolve. "I'm just a minute or so away. Have you eaten yet? I can grab us something if you like?"

"Yeah sounds good. You anywhere near 69th and Madison? There's a place that sells great falafels."

"Okay, I just passed it, I'll swing around now, see you in a few."

The food smelled heavenly and my stomach growled as I walked up the few steps to the main door to Edward's building. I was met by his doorman, Malcolm, my favourite of the guys who worked in his building. Malcolm was in his early sixties and was a typical old fashioned gentleman. He was polite and friendly, and had taken to greeting me like I actually lived in the building.

"Good Evening, Miss. Swan. I hope you're well." He held the door open for me with a smile.

"I'm fine thank you, Malcolm, how are you?"

"Fine my dear."

I walked over to the elevator and when the doors opened Edward was inside waiting. He grinned and waggled a little key at me. "You need a key to get up to my floor. That smells good. Come on up I'm starving."

I walked over and hugged him. "I should warn you I've had wine on an empty stomach, so prepare for a little silliness."

"Duly noted. I want you to have this." He indicated to the key and looked at me hesitantly. He must have seen something on my face that worried him because he started to backtrack quickly, "Listen, I just hoped you'd be spending a lot of time here and I don't particularly fancy traipsing up and down every time you're coming over. I just thought it might be practical if you had your own key."

It was such an innocuous looking object and yet I felt a surge of emotions hit me like a freight train. We were talking three weeks and he was giving me a key to his place, telling me he loved me and taking me to meet his parents.

"You don't have to do this," I croaked and saw my hand trembling.

Edward saw it too and immediately closed his hand around mine softly. "I know I don't have to, like I said I'm just not gentlemanly enough to escort you up and down all the time." He winked and stepped closer to me cautiously.

"Thanks," I breathed.

Edward pressed his forehead against mine. "Look, Bella, in a few weeks we go on tour and I literally won't get more than an hour to myself. We'll be in a different country every week and I won't get back to the city until October. Things are so good right now, I just want to make the most of that before I leave." He closed his eyes and sighed sadly.

"It's just a key, right?" I smiled and kissed him, feeling him relax straight away.

"Yep, just a key,"he murmured. "So you'll take it?"

"Of course I will." I hugged him tightly. "Now just try getting rid of me."

He chuckled and said, "Not gonna happen. I love you."

I grinned so hard my cheeks hurt, but without a drop of hesitation I replied, "And I love you, too."

~x~

After I'd finished my shift at the Ross' on Tuesday, I went straight over to Arts for my second stint of the day. I walked into the bar and grinned instantly. There was my man talking to Art, waiting for me. Life just didn't get any better. I fought back the primal urges to run over the room and plant a big kiss possessively on his lips, just to stake my claim. There were several pretty women in the room giving him the eye after all. I settled on a very polite exchange of hello and smirked at Edward's sexy wink that he shot in my direction.

The night was pleasant, how could it be anything different with Edward waiting for me all night? Art pulled up a stool as the crowd started to taper off at about 11.30pm and chatted with Edward while I drifted up and down the bar serving the last remaining customers. After a few minutes of talk about sports, sports, and more sports, Art asked Edward about the tour. I immediately felt a wave of dread wash over me and Edward's eyes snapped to my face before he answered.

"We leave on the first," he responded, his eyes still on mine. I smiled and tried to seem casual but inside I was reeling. "We fly out for some promo stuff and then our first gig is on the third."

Art seemed oblivious to the sensitive subject and continued to press Edward for more information. I felt like stamping my feet and shushing them but I planted a fake smile on my face and tried to seem interested.

"We've got about twelve gigs to do in the States, and then we fly over to Europe at the end of July." I could see the reluctance in Edward, he clearly didn't want to talk about it but Art failed to notice.

"Where are you playing?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Ireland, a few places in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and some others." Edward was fiddling with the wrapper on his beer. I'd seen him do it a few times and it always seemed to be when he was nervous or uncomfortable with something.

"Cool. Then do you head back?"

I groaned quietly. I knew that after all their European dates they still had to finish the rest of their world tour. Australia, South Africa, South America, and finally Canada. It would be almost the end of October before I saw him again.

Edward politely reeled off the places they still had to cover and Art acknowledged appreciatively. "Wow, buddy, what a life eh? Bet you can't wait, shit, I'd love to get the chance to see the world like that."

Edward nodded but didn't speak. He sighed and closed his eyes; one of his hands was rubbing the back of his neck furiously. No one spoke for a few minutes after that. What was there to say?

"So when do you girls go on vacation, Bella?" Art clearly noticed the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room thanks to his questioning and broke the silence by asking me about the holiday to Miami.

_Too late now._

"July eighteenth," I replied.

"Has she told you about the house, Edward? Seriously, man, it's amazing. Angela's brother plays for the 49ers and it's his place. Have you told him, Bella?" Art was trying desperately to inject a bit of life into us.

"Yeah, I told him," I answered before moving away to serve another customer.

I was glad for the distraction, just thinking about Edward being gone for that amount of time was choking me up. I had only known him for a matter of weeks and regardless of what had happened between us, I was about to say goodbye for over three months.

Edward remained quiet and just after midnight Art closed up and I began to clear away. I wiped down the bar and walked over to the tables. I was just lifting the chairs off the floor when I felt Edward's arms wrap tightly around my waist.

"Sorry I was quiet, Bella. I fucking hate the idea of not seeing you for that long." He rested his chin on my shoulder softly. His voice was tinged with sadness and I put my hands onto his.

"Neither do I." I turned slowly to face him and snuggled against his chest. "At least you'll be busy. I'll either be babysitting kids or babysitting drunks. I won't even get any peace at home; Jazz is always there now." I smiled and Edward chuckled.

"I suppose I do get the better end of the deal. But, if you need a place to escape, you have a key to my apartment. Feel free to escape there as much as you like." He kissed me swiftly and then pulled away. "Seriously, Bella, treat it as your own."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with the ends of his hair. "I may just do that." I kissed him back, but this kiss was harder and we both forgot where we were for a few minutes. We were only disturbed by Art clearing his throat in embarrassment.

"Come on, I don't wanna see that thanks." He rolled his eyes and Edward just laughed. "Get yourself home, Bella, I'll finish up. You're back Friday right?"

I nodded and we wished him goodnight. The walk back to Edward's was slow; even though the streets were busy we managed to amble back anonymously. It was a beautiful night; mild and clear. It would have been perfected if I'd had the courage to snatch Edward's hand in mine and walk with him like a girlfriend should do. But, I didn't and instead we walked side by side silently. There was no need to fill the moment with pointless conversation, I was still choked up about Edward leaving and it had bothered him too. Once we got back to his apartment we went straight onto the balcony and continued to enjoy the night from there. We were sprawled out on one of the loungers.

It was a perfect night and not cold in the slightest, I rolled over carefully and perched on top of his lap. "Is it private?" I murmured as I kissed his lovely lips.

His eyes remained open and I could see them flicker around as he tried to answer, "Mmm, I'm not sure. Maybe?"

_Yeah, this is a great idea girl, straddling outdoors. Yum._

"Maybe? Okay I can live with that." I kissed him again and Edward never uttered a word, all I got from him was a groan which I took as agreement.

I stood and slipped off my pants and underwear, watching as Edward wriggled out of his jeans and boxer shorts. I couldn't help but giggle as I saw just how agreeable he was to this idea.

"What do you expect?" he grumbled, but with a smile playing on his lips. "You should know that whenever I'm with you I have the same damn situation going on in my pants...and then you suggest _this.._.out here. Shit, I swear I almost blew my load at the idea."

I crawled back into his lap, kissing him, and tugging at his hair. His hands held onto my hips tightly, and slowly he lowered me down onto him. I watched intently as his head flopped back onto the lounger as he groaned and clossed his eye. He was all sorts of beautiful anyway, but like this...

"I love you, Edward Cullen," I whispered and his eyes snapped open immediately.

"I love you too. You're so beautiful," he breathed. "So beautiful."

I felt his hands move slowly up my sides, arms and then he held onto my face, sitting up and kissing me so passionately it ignited a fire in my stomach. I pushed him back and kept my eyes on his as I began to roll and rock my hips

I was so wrapped up in him, in his eyes, in his hold, that I was taken by surprise by my own orgasm which almost suffocated me it was that intense. For those few seconds, I felt like I had absolutely no control over any part of my body. Seeing, and probably feeling my reaction tipped Edward over the edge. I made no attempt to move, and neither did he.

~x~

The week flew by quickly and I was soon staring Friday night in the face. I was back at Arts again and dreaded the prospect of another gruelling shift. Thanks to Edward and the rest of the band, the bar was getting busier and busier every night. There were no more easy mid-week shifts, just hectic ones. The only saving grace was that I had officially finished work at the Ross' for the summer. The final week I had with Edward here in New York, I could at least spend with him and only him.

Tonight however, my man would not be waiting for me while I worked. Seth had insisted Edward and the rest of the guys go to a new club opening in midtown. I hadn't wanted to seem clingy so I had insisted Edward go along.

Of course the feelings of insecurity were plaguing me, but I played my part well and told him he would have a great time. After my last shift at the Ross', I headed straight over to Arts and was surprised to see Edward, Emmett, Garrett, and Seth at the bar talking to Art. As soon as he saw me walk in, Edward jumped straight up and walked over.

"Hey, I thought you were headed to the new club?" I laughed as Edward leaned down and kissed me swiftly. I glanced around the room nervously but aside from Mr. Connolly there were no other customers about.

"Well, since you've been gone all day, Edward, here was pining for you. We agreed to have a few drinks at Arts before we left just to help out Romeo," Seth told me as he drank on his beer.

I raised my eyebrows at Edward and he just shrugged. "You already know how bad I've got it for you. In fact, I'd quite like it if you come with us," he added quietly before pouting at me for effect.

"No way, Edward, this is a boys night remember?" Seth said. "Sorry, Bella, I'll have him back in one piece later, I promise."

"No problem. Boys night, I get it," I said, smiling.

"Technically, it's not a boys night though." The slutty blonde woman from the night of the concert sauntered over from the bathroom. "I'm going with them."

_Arseface, grrr._

"Only because you got us on the guest list, Lauren," Seth sniped.

Arseface looked like a complete hooker. She wore a handkerchief top which barely covered her chest and a teeny tiny leather skirt which looked like it was from a childs clothing store.

"Hi, Stella, get me a drink will you?" she demanded.

_Slip the bitch some laxatives._

"It's, Bella, actually, Lauren, but you know that already," Edward corrected her icily. Arseface inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement but never apologised.

"What are you drinking?" I asked, trying as hard as I could to be nice, despite the fact she was shooting me the evil eye.

_Screw nice. Bitch slap the whore._

"Oh, I'll have whatever Edward's having." She looked seductively at Edward and put her hand on Edward's arm softly. "We have the same exquisite taste."

_Um, excuse me, there's an almighty bitch slap building up in here. Please let it out._

I was seething, who the hell did she think she was _touching _my boyfriend?

I set a beer down on the bar cooly and held my hand out for the money. "That'll be six dollars, please, Laura."

"It's Lauren," she growled through her teeth.

"Whatever," I replied, and moved away to collect a few glasses. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Edward's voice behind me just a minute or so later.

"Why don't you stop by the club after your shifts finished?" he asked softly, his eyes were almost sad.

I smiled at him. "It's not really my kind of place. Besides, thanks to you guys this place will be hectic all night. I'll be too tired to faff about getting ready later. Go and enjoy yourselves, Edward, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I bet I could persuade you," Edward whispered, and leaned over the bar to kiss me. Of course Arseface made yet another appearance and interrupted us.

"Edward, someone like her has no chance of getting into the club tonight," she sneered and wrapped her hand around Edward's bicep. "Come on, we're leaving." She began to pull him away from the bar and I almost kung-fu'd her snotty little arse right there.

Edward shook his arm dismissively and ignored her; he leaned forward again and kissed me again. "Will you at least go back to my place after your shift? I'd rather see you later tonight than wait until tomorrow?" He looked at me hungrily, then he added loud enough for Arseface to hear, "You've got your key with you right?"

I stifled a laugh and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Sure, I'll be waiting."

"Don't worry, Bella, I'll protect him from Lauren." Seth laughed, and slapped Edward on the back.

The others were waiting for Edward by the door and shouted, "bye," as they left. Arseface shot me one last glare as she left the bar on Edward's heels.

Inner-Bella was singing along to _Kung-fu fighting_, practising her kung-fu moves and I almost did the same.

_Hi-yah! Die bitch, die. _

Even though I had no reason to doubt Edward, I was still the most jealous I had ever been in my entire life. My mind was running away with me and I was bombarded with images of Edward and Arseface sitting together, drinking, dancing, kissing...

_STRADDLING? NO! That cannot be allowed, no one is permitted to straddle Mr. D except you._

I moped about serving for the next twenty minutes. I couldn't shake the images of Edward and Arseface from my mind and it was driving me mad. I looked down the bar and caught Art watching me with a little smirk playing on his lips.

"What?" I asked when he laughed at me. I stalked down the bar toward him. "Why are you giving me that look?"

Art snorted a laugh. "I think someone is jealous."

"Jealous? Me?" I scowled at him, disgruntled that I'd been called on it so quickly. Naturally I denied it. "What? Don't be ridiculous, of course I'm not jealous."

Art's expression softened and he stepped closer. "Bella, you really don't need to worry about Edward. Even before he met you he never gave a second glance, and now she's got absolutely no chance with him." He put one hand on my shoulder. "Trust me, he wouldn't touch her with my dick."

"Ew, Art, really?" I wrinkled my nose.

He shrugged casually and carried on working. The bar got busier and busier and I wasn't feeling particularly jovial. I was grumpy and scowling at everyone, even poor old Mr. Connolly didn't get a smile out of me all night. Art tried to cheer me up at the beginning of the shift, but he soon gave up because it was pretty obvious I refused to crawl out of the pit of jealousy I was firmly planted in. My mood did pick up slightly when I had a text from Edward.

_How's work? - E x_

_**Pretty crap, usually there's this sexy man talking to me for most of the night, but he's not here tonight - B x**_

_That's too bad – where is he? E x_

_**Off gallivanting around in Midtown, he's got himself an invite to a swanktastic new club. Oh how the other half live eh? B x**_

_What an idiot, bet he wishes he was there talking to you. - E x_

_**Doubtful, he'll be living it up with the plastic fantastics. - B x**_

_Why don't you go and live it up with him? E x_

_I miss you :( _

_**No, Edward, enjoy yourself and I'll be waiting for you when you get back xx**_

The night dragged and by 10.30pm, I was well and truly fed up. Art clearly feared for the customer's in his bar, so he packed me off to the pool room where I could wallow in self-pity in relative peace and quiet. I moped about serving and cleaning, thoroughly ashamed with my behaviour, but not ashamed enough to snap myself out of it. I contemplated texting Edward again, but James had scarred me and made me question every little action like I was somehow turning into him. I put my phone back in my pocket and lay my head down on the bar. The images of Edward and Arseface were reverberating around my head and I squeezed my eyes tight to try to displace them.

"If I'd known you were this exhausted, I'd never have come back here." I heard a wonderful chuckle and I broke out into a huge smile. "I was looking forward to seeing you later and I decided I couldn't wait any longer." Edward moved and sat at the bar, resting his hands on mine gently. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Why are you here so early? Won't you get grief from Seth?" I pretended to care, but I didn't. Selfish or not I was ecstatic he was here with me and not anywhere else.

"He started on me but I told him straight. In a week or so I'll be spending every damn day and night with him for three months. Until then the only person I want to spend any time with is you, Bella. Even if that time is spent waiting for you while you work." I almost dissolved into a pile of goo.

"I should say that I'm sorry I ruined your night but I'd be lying." I smiled sheepishly.

"Why are you up here?" he asked.

"I wasn't exactly pleasant company," I said. "In fact I was acting a little like Glenn Close in fatal Attraction. It's a good job you don't have any pets at home or you may have found them boiling on your stove."

_Don't tell him that you idiot, Jesus, are you trying to scare him off, we've only got a week's worth of straddling left._

Instead, Edward burst out laughing and squeezed my hand a little harder. "Jealous? I kind of like that, not in the Glenn Close way of course. But I always thought you were Mrs. Cool and I was the crazy loved up fool."

I grimaced. "I know I should know better, given the whole James thing but I can't help it. Just looking at her made me want to kung-fu her to the moon. Seriously, Edward, I was hi-yahing and chanting Kung Fu Fighting in my head as you left."

Edward laughed loudly again, attracting a few looks from the other customers upstairs. "That I would love to have seen."

"I am quite ashamed of myself actually." I stuck out my bottom lip and pulled my best sad face, earning another laugh in the process.

Edward released my hands and walked around the bar to me, I looked around the bar nervously, but no one was even looking over at us anymore. He put his hands on either side of my face and gazed straight into my eyes intensely. I felt like he was looking right into my soul and it sent goose bumps through my body. His face was serious, yet soft, and his hands were holding my face firmly, but gently at the same time. He slowly brought his head forward and rested it on mine, never breaking the intense eye contact. I felt my heartbeat spike and my breath hitch nervously. I forgot all about the other people in the room for a moment all I could concentrate on was Edward. "Bella," he murmured quietly after what felt like an hour of silence. "I love you and you can trust me completely."

I nodded and smiled. "I love you too. I do trust you, I promise I do. But I can't even pretend to trust her or any of the other little hussies out there who just want to see you naked. I know jealousy isn't an endearing quality, believe me I do."

He shook his head. "I disagree. On you it's quite sexy. But you don't have to worry, the only people I'll be getting naked anywhere near will be the guys and if anything were to happen there then I don't think we'd need to worry about any of those hussies would we?" He laughed and planted a quick kiss on the tip of my nose, before stepping back around to the front of the bar. "Anyway, woman, pull your finger out and get your man a beer. Call yourself a bartender do you? I'm dying of thirst over here."

I couldn't help but laugh as I saluted to him and set him a beer down on the bar. "Yes, Sir."

"I like that. Although I doubt you could ever stick it in any establishment where you have to obey orders, Bella. You're too stubborn." He winked and took a long drink on his beer.

"I resent that. I could totally be a soldier or a marine. Ooh-arr and all that," I huffed and Edward spat out a mouthful of beer and doubled over laughing. "What? Surely, the idea of me following orders isn't that funny?"

I had to wait for Edward to compose himself, he literally couldn't speak he was laughing so hard. "Bella," he began, still fighting back the urge to laugh, "What the fuck was that? Ooh Arr?"

"That's what Marines say right? I know they do, I've heard it before." I narrowed my eyes at him, waiting for his answer, but instead he just started laughing again.

"No, that's what Pirates say. _Ooh arr me hearties_. I think you were aiming for Ooh-rah. You kill me, seriously that was the funniest thing I've heard in ages. I can just picture it now, a team of guys getting ready to go on some dangerous mission and then they suddenly start 'Ooh Arring' and drawing their cutlasses on each other." He slapped the bar as he tried to stop laughing.

I huffed again and pretended to sulk for a while, I felt a little embarrassed and I was intent on playing the guilt trip. It worked and he was apologising for laughing at me just a few minutes later. I giggled at his expression, he really thought he'd offended me and then when he realised I'd been playing around he decided to sulk instead. The juvenile little game continued for the rest of my shift.

I had such good intentions for the night, with a few extra little activities added as soon as Edward appeared at the bar. So as soon as we were home, I went and sat on the bed while Edward used the bathroom. I didn't even remember lying down, but the next thing I knew the sun was streaming in through his window and I was wrapped up in the sheet on Edward's bed.

_Damn it, you fell asleep? Do you not remember he's leaving next week? Every minute is sacred and you go waste it on sleep? Pathetic, why don't you just get your knitting out and knit one pearl one like the granny you are._

I almost went to move, but I could hear Edward's deep breathing close to my ear and I could feel his arm wrapped tightly around my waist, so rather than move a muscle I closed my eyes and drifted back off to sleep, I would have quite happily stayed in this exact spot forever.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading and reviewing this fic. I adore reading what your thoughts are on the whole "James" situtation and what the repercussions will be for Bella :D **

**Have a wonderful weekend, I'll be back tomorrow!**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N - Pre-read by Prettyflour, all mistakes are mine :)**

**Chapter 15 - Arrivederci, Auf Wiedersehen, Shalom, See ya!**

**BPOV**

The following week passed by in a blur. The weather remained glorious and I spent every waking minute with Edward. We visited the Ice Cream Parlour, jogged around Central Park (well I jogged, Edward just lingered behind me watching my arse as I ran) and of course he waited for me on Tuesday while I worked.

Before I knew it Friday had come around again and I was back at Arts. Tonight as Edward sat waiting for me I was more than aware he would be leaving on Monday morning. I did my best not to think about it, we had spent every day together for almost three weeks and I had loved every second.

But, on Monday Edward _would_ fly over to Los Angeles, the second part of Zeus' tour would begin and I wouldn't see him until October. The first month or so would be the worst by far, I wasn't back at the Ross' until the summer holidays were over so I would be stuck at home with nothing much to do beside mope around thinking about Edward. Art had already agreed to let me pull a few extra shifts and there was the holiday to Miami coming up a few weeks after Edward left, but it was a poor second best.

We were unusually quiet while I worked, the impending separation was present in both of our minds and the mood was sombre. As the clock ticked by I saw Edward pull out a set of keys from his pocket and set them down on the bar. I saw the key chain and recognised the rental company as the one he used when we went to visit his parents in the Hampton's.

"What's with the car?"

Edward smiled but his eyes remained sad. "Mom and Dad are back in LA already, so I'm taking you over to the house for the rest of the weekend. My flight leaves JFK at noon on Monday so we can drive back that morning. I didn't want to spend our last weekend together stuck in the apartment or jogging around the park." He sighed and fiddled with the keys.

"Sounds perfect." I sighed. This was going to be unbearable. "Are we going back to the apartment so I can pack some clothes?" I asked.

"Nope, Alice packed your things earlier for me. They're already in the car so we can head straight over as soon as you're done here."

I smiled, my throat stuck and my eyes stung with tears. God, I was going to miss him. Really, really miss him.

We made good time on the drive and arrived at the house just before two in the morning. Edward walked me through the house and into the kitchen. He flicked the lights on outside and indicated towards the hot tub. "Would you like a glass of wine out there?"

I nodded. "I hope Alice packed a bikini."

"I hope she didn't, you don't need one tonight, Bella, it's just us." Edward waggled his eyebrows suggestively and laughed.

"I'm wearing something or I'm not going in." I stood with my hands on my hips and my right foot tapping. Edward yielded instantly and began rummaging through my bag begrudgingly. After a few seconds he tossed a skimpy white bikini over at me.

"You do know I'll have it off you within a matter of minutes." He winked and moved to the fridge to retrieve a bottle of wine.

"Keep dreaming, buster." I moved out of sight and changed quickly.

"I'll be outside," Edward shouted out and I heard the door slide open.

Alice had sent the skimpiest bikini I owned. It barely covered anything and tied at the nape of my neck and my back, and the bottoms tied on each hip. One thing I was sure of I wouldn't be wearing this when we went to Miami. I grabbed a couple of towels and followed Edward outside. He was already sitting in the hot tub and even through the bubbles I could see he wasn't wearing any shorts.

_Ah, heaven._

Edward thrust a glass of wine in my direction and I shuffled up next to him. He wrapped his right arm around my shoulders and rested his cheek on the top of my head. The night was so pretty; the full moon had lit up the sky so brightly that I could just make out the ocean and see the crests of the waves twinkling under the moon light.

"This is perfect," I whispered. "So peaceful. It's hard to believe New York City is only a few hours away."

"It is after two in the morning, Bella. What did you expect to hear? Jet skis and fireworks?" Edward laughed quietly. I could feel it reverberate through his body which was so tightly pressed up against mine.

"Stop being an ass," I muttered and changed the subject. "You said your parents were back in LA. Will they be coming with you on tour?"

"Yeah, they're flying over to the UK with us. They only come if Caitlyn's out of school, which she is. My sister loves it, she gets to visit all these great places and spend most of her summer break jet setting around." Edward sighed after he finished speaking and neither of us spoke for a while. The mention of the tour had shifted the mood again.

_Well done you idiot. You've gone and bummed him out now. Why did you bring up the tour again?_

Feeling a little uncomfortable with the silence and wanting to make every minute count while we were still together, I moved around and sat across his lap. I leaned forward and kissed him softly. His hands slipped to my hips and my hands ran up his shoulders, neck and into his hair. After just a few minutes Edward's hands had moved to the ties on my bikini and removed the top quickly.

"Told you there would be no point putting this on didn't I?" He chuckled, his voice was rough and his eyes were intense.

I sighed. "I suppose you were right."

I let out a shaky breath as Edward dipped his head forward and captured one of my nipples in his mouth. I arched my back and squirmed in his lap. "Edward," I croaked.

"Stand up," he whispered, and as I stood infront of him, he untied the strings on bikini bottoms, leaving me completely naked before him. "Sit on the edge."

I did as he asked, and then he knelt between my legs, running his hands back and forth up my thighs. His eyes were so dark and so intense, it was almost too much to maintain eye contact. Without another word he buried his face between my thighs. I clung onto the sides of the hot tub, bit down on my bottom lip, and squeezed my eyes shut; trying my utmost to remain quiet and not scream.

"Oh god...fuck...Edward...please...I...shit..." I panted, shaking violently as I came.

Edward sprung out of the hot tub and positioned himself ready to move inside me. "Hold on to me," he ordered.

I could barely manage more than a nod. I wrapped my arms around Edward's neck and my legs tightly around his waist, calling out his name loudly as he slammed into me.

I had a brief flicker of guilt at what we were doing and where we were doing it, knowing full well I'd never be able to look Edward's mother in the eye again without having flashbacks. But I didn't complain, for this weekend nothing else mattered, just Edward.

It was well after four, when we finally made it into bed, and I was looking forward to a nice lie in but Edward appeared to have other plans. He woke me up far too early the next morning by whipping the drapes open to allow in the blasting sunshine. I groaned and covered my face with the pillow.

"Rise and shine, Bella. I leave in two days so you can catch up on your sleep then." He dragged me out of bed and straight outside to have breakfast.

We spent Saturday on the beach; he tried in vain to show me how to surf. I barely even listened to his instructions, I was too busy looking in the sea for any signs of a fin cutting through the water and after an hour or so he gave up in a huff. The beach immediately in front of his house was private so we were uninterrupted for the day. We sat on the dunes and I was thrilled when he started pointing out shapes in the clouds above. Even when he pointed out to one which he thought resembled a breast I grinned in delight.

We walked through the surf hand in hand. Unwilling to miss out on of any kind of contact I even kept hold of his hand tightly when we came across a group of people further up the beach. Edward kept his hat pulled low and his head down and he wasn't given a second glance. I was too wrapped up in just being with him to feel scared, anxious, or anything else.

It was a perfect day.

When we finally went back inside the house I was exhausted and ravenous. Of course General Edward had a strict timetable he had to adhere to, so I was ushered upstairs and into the shower. He even insisted on joining me in there to make sure I didn't dawdle. Yeah right, the shower took twice as long but was twice as enjoyable.

I was feeling a little sunburned and hot, so I just pulled on a loose red and white printed strapless dress and a pair of sandals. I dried off my hair and let it hang loose. Edward looked as handsome as ever, he had on a pair of beige cargo shorts and a black shirt. He was flushed with the sun and his hair a shade lighter too. It actually hurt when I thought of not seeing him for three months, but I quickly shoved the thought aside and smiled as he held out his hand.

"Right, off to Alexis for dinner, let's go." As we stepped through the door he swung around abruptly to face me. "By the way, you look beautiful, Bella. It really suits you being out here." He kissed me once and then resumed his march outside.

We were in a private corner of the restaurant again; it was almost as though we were the only ones here. We chatted and joked, neither mentioning the big goodbye we were facing, and following on from the rest of the day we had a perfect night.

Once again Edward woke me early, but today there was no military schedule he was intent on keeping up with. Instead we spent the entire day in the garden, we lounged about on airbeds in the pool, and occasionally Edward would revert back to his adolescence and tip me off the airbed into the water. We also did a few more things in the house and gardens that I rather hoped his family would never find out about.

As always happens, time flies by when you most want it to stand still. It was almost dark when Edward's phone buzzed and he ushered me inside again to shower and change. This time though he didn't join me, I was left with strict instructions not to come downstairs until he came for me. I saluted him sarcastically and took my time getting ready.

When Edward did re-appear he had a blindfold in one of his hands. I raised my eyes questioningly and he grinned widely. "Humour me?"

I sighed but nodded and allowed him to tie the material across my eyes.

_Ooh la la. Can we play tonight, Monsieur Cullen? Please, please tie me up! I've been a bad bad girl._

Mm, interesting...it would appear Inner-Bella was into kinky.

I heard him changing but I had no idea what he was putting on and I was dying to peek over the top but I refrained myself. He was trying to surprise me and I was going to let him have his fun. I was only standing there for a few minutes when Edward's hand took mine and he led me downstairs slowly. I walked along and sensed he was taking me outside, I felt the cooler air on my face and he helped me over the door frame. When we stopped moving he turned me slightly to the left, stood behind me and released the knot on the blindfold.

I gasped at the sight that greeted me. All the lights in the garden were switched off. They had been replaced with fairy lights that were hanging from the hedges which walled the garden. There was a small table and two chairs in the middle of the garden with a candle, and an ice bucket beside one of the chairs. On each place setting were two covered dishes, a glass, and cutlery. Edward pushed me slightly towards the table and then moved to hold the chair back so I could sit down.

"Wow, Edward, this is beautiful." I choked out as he lifted the lid from my plate and I saw a piece of lasagne and salad with a side of garlic bread.

"Alexis' home recipe. Someone delivered it for me while you were getting ready. I wanted to have a quiet dinner with you but I can't cook anything besides toast so I needed another strategy." He sat down opposite me, waiting for my reaction.

"It's perfect, Edward. This whole weekend has been perfect." My eyes were tearing up and I was glad for the relative darkness, I didn't want him to see me upset.

"I don't want to leave you, Bella" he murmured softly as he removed the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket and popped the cork. "I'd love for you to come with me. I know you go back to work in a month or so, but at least until then. What do you think?"

I tried to smile, but I couldn't manage it. "Edward, I'm going to miss you, really fucking miss you. But, I have my job at Arts, the holiday with the girls, and I wouldn't dare do anything while I was with you guys. There's bound to be shit loads of press and fans following you around all over the place and I'd spend the whole time waiting for you in a hotel room. I don't want that, and you don't want that either."

_Whaaaaaat? Why the hell are you saying no? Who gives a flying fuck about being holed up in a hotel room? After all you would be holed up with Mr. Delicious. I cannot believe I have to share this body with you, bitch._

He nodded slowly. "I know, you're right. I just can't stand the thought of not seeing you for that long. It's crazy to think I'm acting like this...I mean I've got a carton of juice in my fridge that I've had longer than I've known you. I just know that I love you and I'm going to go nuts while I'm away."

He began to say something else, but I stood and leaned forward, placing my hand over his mouth. "Let's not talk about this anymore, Edward. From now until you leave let's not even think about it. I want to have another perfect evening with you and we can deal with the rest tomorrow."

He nodded and kissed my palm. "Sorry, I'm killing the mood here aren't I?"

We laughed and dug into the slightly cool lasagne, it was still delicious and the bottle of ice cold champagne wasn't bad either. We never went back inside the house for the rest of the night. We had another dip in the hot tub and then because the night was so pretty again, we sat on the swing at the bottom of the garden, listening to the wave's crash against the beach. We wrapped ourselves up in blankets and swung back and forth for hours. I fell asleep for only about twenty minutes and it was almost five thirty when I woke up. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky was stunning. I watched Edward for a few minutes, he had fallen asleep about an hour before me and he looked so peaceful. As much as I didn't want to disturb him, the inevitable was now upon us and I had to make sure he didn't oversleep. I ran my fingers over his face and his eyes snapped open.

"Sorry, I didn't know what time you'd want to leave. It's after five," I whispered sadly. "I don't want you to miss your flight."

"We'll need to leave soon," his tone matched mine and he sat forward and ran his hands through his hair. "We should grab your things." He went to stand up and pulled me with him. I nestled under his arm.

"No need, I took care of it while you were preparing the garden last night." I sighed and we walked slowly back into the house, I cast one last glance at the picture perfect sky, listened to one last rumble of the water on the shore and closed the door behind me.

"So we have time for breakfast. What do you want?" Edward asked after he had loaded up the car.

"If we've got a bit of time, I want to spend it with you, Edward, just you. I'll eat when I get back home." I pressed my body close against him and he smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

~x~

The drive back to the city was torture, I tried to talk but I couldn't speak without my voice cracking. Edward was quiet too, he had my hand gripped tightly in his and he kept his gaze firmly on the road ahead. After parking the car on the road outside my building, he followed me inside. I stopped before I got to my apartment and turned to face him.

"Bella, please spend as much time in the apartment as you like. Take the girls over and watch a movie on the flat screen. I've told the doormen to expect you, treat the place as your own." He stroked his hands down my face and rested his head on mine.

I nodded but didn't say a word. I couldn't hold the tears in any longer and they spilled over and ran down my cheeks. He used his thumbs to wipe them away softly. My throat felt thick and achy and I could feel the sobs clawing their way out of my mouth.

"I have to get to the airport." Edward sighed and closed his eyes. "Fuck, I really don't want to go. I've never felt like this before; touring was always my favourite part of the job."

I took a breath and tried my absolute hardest to hide how much I didn't want him to go. "Edward, you'll love it once you get into the swing of things and you'll be so busy the time will fly. Think about all those fans who're counting down the days to your concert, you can't let them down." He opened his eyes and looked at me. "When you're in London, you should take a drive over to Thames Ditton and visit The George and The Dragon, they serve the best homemade Yorkshire Puddings remember? Just ask for Phil or Sarah and they'll look after you." I kissed him for a few minutes and then pulled away reluctantly. "You should go. I'm not getting the blame for you missing your flight."

He nodded. "I love you, Bella, and I'll ring you when we get to LA." He stepped back and ran his hands down my arm to hold my hands tightly, before he turned and walked away.

"You'd better," I joked before adding, "I love you too."

I watched him disappear then I closed the door to the apartment and the tears were unleashed. I didn't move. I just rested my head against the back of the door letting the tears stream down my face. I cried silently, Alice and Angela would still be in bed and I didn't want to wake them. I don't know how long I was standing there, but suddenly Alice appeared at my side. Her face was wrought with sympathy and she pulled me roughly into a tight hug.

"He'll be back, Bella," she whispered as I tried to control the crying.

"Three months though, Alice. Three fucking months," I barely managed to whisper the words and I moved away, wiping my eyes and cheeks.

"You gonna be okay?" she asked.

I nodded. "I just need to get some sleep. I barely slept all weekend. We'll talk later though yeah? Once I've gotten a hold on myself."

I walked away and collapsed onto my bed. I didn't sleep straight away, I had to let my tears run dry first. But eventually I managed to compose myself and then began mentally calculating the weeks, days, hours, and minutes until Edward was home. I was woken by my phone buzzing about six hours later.

_Miss you already. We just got into LA. I love you, Bella. E x_

_**Miss you and love you too. Have fun – B x**_

I stood up and changed into my running clothes. I need to vent some of this emotional energy or I was going to go mad. I smiled at Alice, promised to talk to her when I got back and set off for the park. The weather had changed to match my mood, the sunshine had been replaced by dark clouds and rain but I didn't care. I ran my usual three laps around the reservoir and made sure each one was faster than the other. When I was finished I was exhausted. I walked home slowly, the rain had wet me through but I wasn't bothered. I took the long route home purposely, just so I could pass Edward's apartment. I contemplated going in for an hour, but I wasn't ready for that yet, it would seem too weird being in his place without him. I continued past and headed home.

Angela pulled me into a hug as soon as I walked through the door. "Aw, Bella. Don't worry, we'll be off to Miami soon and once you're back at work the time will fly by. He'll be home before you know it."

I nodded silently, feeling the tears build up once again. I fought them back and went to grab a quick bite to eat.

"Angela's right, Bella. Miami's the perfect distraction for you." Alice looked up from her laptop and smiled. "We'll have a great time, I promise."

The two weeks waiting to go to Miami felt like two years. I worked as many shifts at Arts as I could get my hands on. Edward and I spoke on the phone every day and were constantly texting back and forth, but it wasn't the same. I had gone from spending all of my free time with him, to not seeing him at all and I hated it. I found James creeping back into my head again and I felt the guilt over my mother's death beginning to resurface. I hadn't realised the effect Edward had on me as a whole and I was missing him more than I ever thought possible.

There was also a little problem which I liked to refer to as, "definitely not jealousy." I found myself worrying about the high number of female fans that would be throwing themselves at the guys at every available opportunity. Even Arseface was with them for most of the dates and that made me even more insecure.

_Arseface, grrrr. Told you we should have kung fu'd her ass when we had the chance._

"Goddamn, motherfucking hell, this is going to be a shit three months" I muttered to myself as I got into bed about ten days after Edward had left.

And for the most part it was.

I would like to have said that the three months without Edward flew by, and October was upon me before I knew it. Unfortunately that was not the case and the time inched by slower and slower every day. I thought back to last year, I had loved the summer holidays. I hadn't done anything particularly exciting but I enjoyed wandering around Central Park, reading and lounging around the apartment. This year everything was so much different, I was literally counting down the seconds just so I could get back to work. I was even sad enough to go to Arts much earlier than I needed to and stay behind until close as often as I could.

I did of course have two wonderful friends who took it upon themselves to try and cheer me up at every opportunity. I felt terribly guilty for being depressed all the time, and to try and put that right, I put on the best show I could for the entire holiday in Miami. I pretended to be as excited as they were, and clapped enthusiastically as they called us for boarding at JFK.

When we arrived at Angela's brother's house I did relax a little. I knew the girls and I would have a fun time and I needed that. I loved this house, it was set on the waterfront and from the driveway it was almost hidden from view. The foliage was so thick in the front garden that the two storey house was near invisible. Angela pulled up outside the front door and ushered us in excitedly. The interior was stunning too, recently refurbished from top to bottom and every finish was done to perfection. I dumped my bags by the grand sweeping staircase and headed straight for the kitchen, the back wall had been replaced with glass doors which opened right up and let the outside in. The lights were on in the pool and in the surrounding garden and it looked pretty. Romantic even.

_Bah, who gives a rat's ass about romantic when Mr. Delicious is thousands of miles away?_

Actually right at that moment Mr. Delicious was the closest he'd be for quite a while. He'd been here in Miami not four hours earlier, but now he was up in the air on his way to Ireland. I looked up to the sky and saw the tail lights of various aircraft dotted about in the darkness. I wondered if one of those flights was his and tried to picture him chilling in his first class seat with a beer. Of course the paranoia took a strangle hold, and soon my imagination had added a pretty hostess sitting on his lap, licking his neck. I shook my head to expel the image and went to join the girls.

The holiday proved to be the welcomed distraction I thought it would be, although it did turn out a little different than I expected. For the first few days I played nice and allowed myself to be dragged along to various bars and clubs. Usually Alice would be the one who was full of life and eager to dance the night away. However, now she and Jasper had made the move from friends with benefits they had become inseparable, so she and I were more than content to sit and drown our sorrows whilst pining for the respective men in our lives.

During the early part of the holiday, we were batting away the attentions of the wide range of men that had come to Miami to get as much sex as was physically possible, allowing Angela to steal all the attention. Clearly word got around to leave the two sour-faced cows alone and we were left to wallow in peace.

Angela had initially given us serious grief about the whole thing but then, on day four, she met Ben. He too was on holiday with his friends in Miami. As it turned out he was from New York, a student at Juilliard studying drama, and Angela was a goner from the outset. For the rest of the holiday we barely saw her.

It left Alice and I free to bask in the sun. We spent our days lounging by the pool, drinking mojitos on the beach and wandering around the shops. It felt nice to have that one on one time with my best friend. I adored Angela, we both did, but Alice and I had been through so much together and we were more like sisters than friends.

We talked a lot about Jasper. He too came with his own baggage. He had lost several colleagues and more importantly close friends in the World Trade Center. He was laden with guilt that he had survived and even now years later he was still struggling to deal with it. I took a little comfort in that, not in his suffering, but rather that I wasn't quite the emotional fuckwit I thought I was and that the guilt I harbored was normal.

Alice and Jasper were in love, no doubt about it. I was thoroughly happy for her, she was my friend and I wanted her to be happy. If I was honest though, a small part of me was a little afraid. If James found me again, I had always assumed that one way or another I would have Alice with me wherever I went. Now though, I couldn't expect, or ask her to leave Jasper behind. I would have to start accepting that when I did leave I would have to do it alone.

The holiday did fly by. I had to deal with an emotional goodbye scene between Ben and Angela, which only succeeded in reminding me of just how long I would have to wait to see Edward and how much I was missing him. Then, to make that hit home even harder, I was forced to witness a soppy reunion thanks to an impromptu move by Jazz. He had surprised Alice in arrivals with a huge bouquet of flowers and a board which read, "I LOVE YOU, MISS BRANDON." A few high pitched squeals of, "I love you too," and a brief exchange of oral bodily fluids in public soon wiped out the last remaining shred of my happy holiday mood. I was absolutely lost without Edward, it was insane I suppose but the three weeks we had spent together had been the most vibrant and enjoyable time of my life.

I only had eighty two days left to see him, or one thousand, nine hundred and sixty eight hours and thirty three minutes. I was literally crossing off each and every second.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Remind me again why I had him leave for 3 months...?**

**EPOV of their time apart up next! **

**Thanks for reading,**

**TTFN**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N - Pre-read by Prettyflour, but I'm a tinkerer so all mistakes are mine :)**

Chapter 13 - Letters and Yorkshire Puddings 

EPOV

The drive to the airport after I had left Bella was horrendous. I couldn't begin to think about spending three months away from her. I had to give myself a good talking to, I needed to pull it together or I'd be of no use to anyone. This was something I had to do and Bella was right, once I was into the swing of things I was sure the time would tick over quickly. When I thought about the manic schedule we had, I knew we'd be on the go constantly and wouldn't be still long enough for me to wallow in misery for too long. One thing I knew for sure, once this tour was done with I would never leave her for this long again.

The weather was pretty much as I'd left it in New York, bright and hot. Unfortunately it did little to lighten my mood. The drive to the studio was tedious and took twice as long thanks to traffic. Every minute that passed I actually found myself missing Bella even more than I thought possible and I honestly had no idea how I would get through three whole months without seeing her.

I surrendered to my fantasies about the last three weeks with her and found some comfort in knowing that she would be waiting for me when I got home.

_Hopefully._

The other guys were waiting for me in the conference room so we could discuss our final preparations. As soon as I entered the room I readied myself for the barrage of mocking that was no doubt headed my way, surprisingly enough, Seth, Garrett, and Emmett were clearly more observant to my mood than I predicted.

"So you said goodbye then?" Seth said.

"Yeah, what else was I going to do, sneak off in the middle of the night while she was sleeping?" I muttered and helped myself to a cup of coffee.

"Your _friend_ may or may not have tried to instigate a wager," Garrett told me. "He wanted to bet a hundred bucks that she'd come with you."

"No she's still in New York. As fucking shit as it was to leave her for three months, Bella does have a life outside of me, guys," I said glumly. "I would have liked her to come...but I'll just have to settle for phone calls and seeing her when I get back." I shrugged and sat down beside my brother.

"You think she'll actually wait for you, Edward?" Seth asked incredulously.

"Jesus, Seth, what the hell?" Emmett looked to me. "Take no notice he's being a jackass."

"Come on, guys, Bella is too fucking hot to go three months without getting any from someone else," Seth said. "I bet there's a line of guys forming outside Arts now you're not there to scare them away."

"Shut up, Seth," I said. "I trust her and I know she isn't the kind of girl who'll just sleep around. If you understood just how fucking much I miss her, you really wouldn't be giving me shit." I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I could see Garrett and Emmett glaring at Seth to shut up but as usual he never knew when to stop.

"You've only known her for three weeks, Edward. How do you know she isn't the kind of girl to sleep around? She didn't exactly keep you out of her pants for very long did she?" Seth pushed, and I rubbed my temples, trying to keep calm.

"Trust me, Seth, if you knew half of the shit that she's been through you wouldn't even be making jokes about her." I exhaled slowly and deeply, dropping my gaze from Seth's confused face to the paper cup in my hands. "I suppose I should explain, you need to know some of it, you need to understand why it stays on the down low about Bella and I."

Bella and I had discussed this. I worried that one of the boys might inadvertently mention her in an interview or to members of the crew, and I needed them to understand why no one could ever find out.

I could feel a three pairs of eyes on me, waiting for the explanation but I needed to get Johnny in here too. I called him in and gave them a somewhat edited version of the story Bella told me. I kept out some of the more private details because they really had no need to know, but I certainly did tell them just how sick James was. It made my blood boil like it had that day in the diner.

It took me a long time to tell the story and I could see their faces turn from confusion, to shock, and then disgust as I progressed. I explained why it was imperative they never mention her name, let anyone take any photos of her, and why she might be a little cool with me when we were in public. Of course, they understood immediately and for one of the first times in my life, I even got a genuine apology from Seth.

"Man, that's bad. I'm sorry buddy, I really am." He dropped his head and I could see the revelation playing over and over in his mind.

"Does Mom know?" Emmett asked, and I nodded.

"Well, you can tell Bella she can trust us, man," Garrett said.

"Thanks, guys," I said, and sighed. "It's going to be a long three months."

~x~

For the next few weeks we toured the US and while I thoroughly enjoyed the performances; the promotional requirements I hated. I faded into the background during interviews, allowing the rest of the guys to talk. It was during these quiet moments that I missed Bella the most. The concerts were a distraction and during the travelling from city to city, I would spend hours on the phone with her so I forgot for those few minutes just how far apart we were.

The last date we had in the US, before flying over to Europe was in West Palm Beach. The really infuriating thing for me was that Bella was flying into Miami the same night that we were leaving. I had tried to rearrange my flight out, but I couldn't do it and still make our press obligations before the next gig. Bella had been unable to get an earlier flight to meet up with me either, not for lack of trying on Alice's part. So, the closest I would be to Bella for a while was each of us on two separate planes into and out of one big city. That was also the last time I would even be on the same continent as her for months. I was pretty much left alone during the flight by the guys and even the air stewards. I had been giving out some serious, "get fucked" vibes to anyone and everyone and I appreciated the space.

After we had performed in Ireland, Edinburgh and Glasgow we found ourselves in England. We had some gigs in Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, and finally London. There were five sell-out dates in the capital and I arranged for a rental car to be ready the morning after our first concert. We had two days to do as we pleased while in the city and there was somewhere I wanted to go.

"What's with the car, Edward?" Emmett asked as we made our way backstage after the performance.

"I'm heading out for the day tomorrow. I want to go and see a few places," I replied, carefully setting down my guitar before pulling out a rag to wipe it down.

"Where? Caitlyn wanted to spend the day with us tomorrow. Don't forget that."

I _had_ forgotten about that. "Damn it."

If I didn't go tomorrow, I knew I wouldn't get chance again. Our only other free day was the day before my family left for home and we promised Mom we'd all go sightseeing and shopping. I wouldn't be able to get out of that so I had to improvise now. I pulled out my phone and rang my mother, asking how she and Caitlyn felt about going for a drive. Of course they agreed and the quiet day out soon turned into another family excursion. My father, Rosalie, and Emmett were also tagging along and we had to organise a larger car.

"So where are we going?" Emmett chirped up expectantly. He was sitting up front with me and the others were looking at me just as curiously.

"I don't want any snide comments from anyone and keep your mouth shut in front of Seth. He'd love to give me grief for this." I eyed them all meaningfully and everyone nodded. "Bella grew up in a village not too far from here, it's called Thames Ditton and I wanted to go and see it. Her family still run the same pub they did when Bella lived here and apparently they serve great food, so I'm going for lunch."

I looked around at everyone again and instead of the scoffs and eye-rolls I'd expected, I saw the female passengers look at me like I had just rescued a puppy from a lake and my dad and Emmett's eyes light up at the mention of lunch.

"Do her family know about you and Bella?" my mother asked.

"No, I only mentioned it to her last night."

I thought back to our conversation on the phone last night. She thought I was weird for even wanting to go, but as I explained to her on the phone, it was highly unlikely she would ever go back and I wanted to see where she grew up. I knew it was sad but I also wanted to feel close to her and as we were thousands and thousands of miles apart, the closest I could get was visiting somewhere she had once lived. It made sense to me anyway.

After we arrived in the village, we drove straight to the pub and parked in the relatively large car park. From the outside it looked like a typical British country pub from movies such as Four Wedding's and A Funeral. As it was still only eleven thirty in the morning, I decided against going into the pub straight away, instead I pulled my cap down low over my face and got out of the car. I was going to have a little walk around the village.

"Now what? There's nothing to do here," I heard Emmett grumble as I closed the door.

"That's why I was going to come alone," I growled and started to walk away.

I heard another door open and the light and swift footsteps of someone approaching me. "Hey, Edward, wait up. I want to come." Caitlyn tripped to my side and slipped her arm inside mine.

I nodded and we walked away from the others. We passed normal everyday stores such as a pharmacy, and a florist. I had to drag my little sister past the bridal shop, she made a few, "oohs and ahs," at dresses on display, eagerly pointing out how pretty Bella would look in them. Admittedly it should have freaked me out - but it didn't, and I couldn't help but agree.

We followed the road and soon I saw a few small boats moored at the side of the river. I knew this was the River Thames but it seemed strange that this village had a direct water link to London. Instead of battling with the city traffic, I suppose you could just jump into your boat and sail away.

After we had walked around for about twenty minutes I steered us back towards the car. I hadn't been spotted once, but then again who would expect an American man paying a visit to a small place like this? I found myself looking at all the residents, wondering if they knew Bella and what had happened to her. I assume that as this was a relatively small village, it was natural for everyone to know everyone else's business and that they probably knew more about what happened than some of Bella's friends back in the States.

Even though it was the middle of the summer , the weather was dull and cool. The village looked pretty nondescript and after seeing how easily Bella fit into New York, I found it hard to imagine her ever feeling at home here. I would have bet money on her being bored with the place and the constant attention she would no doubt have received. She was beautiful and stood out wherever she was, yet in a small place like this she would probably have been the star attraction, the object of everyone's attention. I wondered how different she was back then, before James got to her. I sometimes caught a brief glimpse of the real her, trying to get out. A flash in her eye or a smile on her lips, but she fought so hard to keep the façade up that sometimes I think even she forgot who the real Bella was.

When we did arrive back in the car park, it was almost noon and I could see the front door to the pub was open. so I beckoned my family out of the car and we went inside. As soon as we were through the door, I was hit with the smell of food, fresh coffee, and of course beer. There was also the tinge of stained wood hanging in the air, the wooden beams in the ceiling were exposed and the decor inside almost reminded me of Arts. The tired looking furniture was perfect, and it almost felt as though you had been transported back a hundred years or so. The bar was upon you as soon as you stepped inside and behind it stood a man with grey hair and a moustache. He smiled and I saw him look between Emmett and me deliberately. As soon as he saw Rosalie and Emmett's hands entwined his attention focused solely on me and he nodded.

I saw a selection of photographs hanging on the wall behind him. One was of the man, although a few years younger, with a dark-haired woman who I instantly recognised as Bella's mother. Even though I had never seen a picture of her, it was impossible not to notice the similarities. This was where Bella got her looks. Renée Dwyer was also a very attractive woman, and she and Bella shared the same dark hair and strikingly beautiful features. I moved onto the next photo and smiled; this was of Bella's mother and her husband again, but this time there were two other people in the shot with them. There was an older girl, maybe in her early twenties with light brown coloured hair and slightly larger in size, and the other girl was Bella. She could only have been twelve or thirteen but she was the prettiest little thing even then.

I was lost in thought and I jumped when the man I presumed to be Bella's step-father cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I bet she's just as pretty now, just like her mother she was. I swear Renée never aged a day in all the years we were married." The way he spoke reminded me of Bella. They had the same soft English accent, pronouncing every syllable clearly. He held out his hand and smiled again. "You must be, Edward. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I took his hand and shook it. "Yeah, nice to meet you too. Phil, right? Bella thinks a lot of you." I paused. "I don't mean to sound rude but how did you know who I was?"

"Oh, Bella called late last night and told me to expect a visitor. Said I had to make sure our Yorkshire Puddings were on top form for you."

I laughed and sat down at the bar. "Right, of course she did."

"It was lovely to hear from her, we haven't spoken in so long. Even longer since I've seen her...I understand completely of course, but still, we miss her," he trailed off and sighed.

In the few seconds of awkward silence a woman emerged beside him. It was the other girl from the photograph, only she was even larger set now and her mousey hair had been cut into a short and spiked style which didn't really suit her. I assumed this would have been Sarah, Phil's daughter and Bella's older step-sister.

She looked me over suspiciously. "Well, well, well. I see Bella's still got it. I'm Sarah, Phil's daughter. Nice to meet you Edward, I have to admit both my husband and I are huge fans." She shook my hand too, but her grip was more forceful. She was actually quite an intimidating woman. "So, how's she doing? I worry about her. She's been through hell and back more times in the past few years than anyone should have to in their whole lifetime."

I nodded. "Yeah she has, but she's doing okay. Bella's got a great little set up in New York. She's got some great friends and a nice apartment. She's incredible, absolutely amazes me most of the time." I wanted to reassure them that she was doing really well for herself considering what she'd been through.

"That's the problem right there though, Edward. She amazed someone else too and it ruined her life." Sarah looked at me intently. Clearly she was issuing me with a warning. "She doesn't deserve to go through that again - not ever."

"Look, I know what she's been through. She gave me a pretty detailed explanation when we first met. I understand why she has to keep hidden away and I won't be the reason he finds her. I swear to God I won't let anything happen to her." I stared right back at her, letting her know just how serious I was. Phil nodded behind her but Sarah wasn't convinced.

"Look, Edward, I'm not trying to insinuate that you don't take this seriously, but you really have no idea what it's like. When he finds her again, yes I do mean _when _he finds her again, you have no idea what it's like to live with. It won't just affect Bella's life, the things he does completely destroy the lives of everyone around her. Anyone who cares about her and especially those who she loves, James sees as competition to his affection and they are at risk every second of the day. That bastard's like a disease. It's been six years since we've heard from him but we're still living with the repercussions. We lost so much in one night I doubt we'll ever get over it. My father lost his wife, Bella lost her mother, and then we both lost Bella the day she moved away. She won't ever come back here, not while he's alive and I can't blame her for feeling that way. The only thing she has left here are the memories of what happened and nothing can change that." Sarah's eyes glistened and she wiped at them with her apron.

I felt as though I were on trial, I understood where they were coming from, but they had no idea how much I loved Bella, there was no way I would ever let him get to her.

Phil looked a little uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation and reached over to place a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry to hit you with that as soon as you and your family walk in here. We just love that girl like she's our own. Let's get you kind folks a drink shall we?"

I tried to smile and ordered a round of drinks and let him show us over to a table in the far corner of the dining area.

"I'd offer you menus but Bella told me exactly what I was to serve you guys. I hope no one here's a veggie." He laughed and walked back behind the bar.

I saw my mother looking at me. She smiled as I caught her eye and asked me if I was okay. I nodded and took a long drink on my soda. As we waited for the food, I was surprised when Sarah appeared beside us and inclined her head towards an empty chair beside me.

"Tell me all about her please. Where does she live? What does she do? I take it Alice is still with her?" she asked.

I smiled and broke into a flowing declaration of just how great Bella's life was. "Yeah, she lives on the Upper East Side with Alice and their other friend Angela. During the week she's a nanny for two kids, and then she pulls a few shifts a week in my old friends bar a few blocks from her apartment. That's how we met." I smiled at the memory.

"Did she tell you everything about James?" she asked quietly, trying to be discreet around Caitlyn who was looking on intently.

I cast my dad a glance and he took her away to play a game of pool. This story was nothing my sister needed to hear. "I think so. She told me how it all started, what he did, and what happened the night her mother died." I stopped and waited for her reaction. Instead she stood slowly.

"I'll show you something, just give me a few minutes."

I watched her walk away and disappear behind the bar. When she re-emerged she was carrying an old archive box and she brought it over and set it down on the floor beside me.

"This is just one box, I have six others up in the loft. It's just notes and letters he sent her. There were presents too; flowers, teddy bears, perfume and underwear, but Renée either donated them to hospitals or threw them out. Take a look if you like."

I reached down hesitantly and picked out one letter from the hundred's that were in the box. I opened it up and began to read. My stomach lurched immediately and I wish I'd not started.

_Isabella,_

_I cannot understand why you are pushing me away, how can you not realise that we are supposed to be together?_

_I am lost without you and I need you like I need air in my lungs. You are not here with me in body but you need to understand that we will always be together one way or another. Just know I will not allow you to give up on us. The second I saw you, and you took my breath away I knew I could never be without you. We are two halves so closely entwined that one simply cannot live without the other._

_I find it hard to fathom, but I am trying. I can only imagine you are trying to push me away out of fear. Fear has gripped you because of our intense bond and passion for each other. It leaves no room for anyone else and you need no one but me._

_I will be patient, and give you time to understand that you are my one and only, now and always._

_X_

I should have stopped right there, but I didn't, instead I handed the letter over to my mother and picked out another. This one was worse and I had to fight back the bile when I read his words.

_Isabella,_

_You are a fucking whore and you fill me with disgust and shame. _

_You led me to believe that you were pure and untouched until our first time together, but I know about your first boyfriend. Can you even imagine how much it makes me seethe to imagine him taking you into his bed and touching you, ravishing you, kissing your perfect lips, stroking your perfect hair, caressing your perfect body and filling you with all of him._

_I know of only one way to rid you of all the demons he has tainted you with, I need to pound away every inch of him from your body. The next time we are together rest assured I will not make love to you softly or gently; I will treat you like the whore that you are._

_I already know every last part of you, I watch you and I know you like that. I close my eyes and picture you in your perfect form, your face, neck, shoulders, breasts, naval and beyond. Every inch of you belongs to me and I will claim that back._

_You will soon learn that I will not allow you to live without me. We will be together again and from that Isabella there is no escape._

_X_

I took a few breaths and tried to calm down. I fought the urge to crush the letter into a tiny ball and launch it across the room. Sarah looked at me sympathetically.

"They aren't the worse, some of them are indescribable. The things he said he'd do to her...it scares me to think about it. Renée always got to the post first, she didn't want Bella to read them." Her head dropped and once again I saw her wipe at her eyes. "It's like our lives revolved around him and what was going to do next. The ones like that," she pointed to the letter in my hand, "Were always followed with ones like this." She handed me another which was in complete contrast.

_Isabella,_

_Please, please talk to me. I am broken inside, but I can forgive you. Give me your word that he is your past, and I am your future and we can put this behind us. _

_I would give you the world if you'd let me. I can take care of you, I can worship you, and treat you like you're the only person in the world...you are the only person in the world to me. _

_Please stop fighting this, I beg you._

"Why have you kept them?" My voice was scratchy and I could hear it shaking with rage.

Sarah let out another sigh. "The police tried to help us, but I'm sure Bella told you they couldn't prove anything that happened was James' doing. He's a smart man, a scarily smart man and even though we knew for certain it was him doing all those horrific things we couldn't do a thing to stop it. After the restraining order was granted, he just became even more vigilant. It never stopped him watching her every move, but if anything happened he always had an alibi. Usually it was some unsuspecting girl he'd manipulated into believing he was the victim. The phone calls couldn't be traced and the letters were sent from all over the country. Without proof, the only way the authorities could intercede is if there was any incident of assault, or a threat of assault that they could _prove _came from James. God forbid that ever happens to her. I keep these in case he does slip up and Bella can use them to help rid her life of this parasite."

"Wait, what did you say? No one can do anything to stop him? The only way they can stop him from hurting Bella is to let him actually hurt her? I've never heard such shit in all my life. Jesus Christ is it the same in the states?" Emmett said in disbelief, and he looked thoroughly disgusted, as did Rosalie and my mother. "What kind of sorry ass legal system is that? Talk about protecting the wrong fucking people." Rosalie placed her hand on Emmett's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"There are laws...but they don't help Bella. Charlie, Bella's father, had his attorney try everything when it happened in Seattle...it was useless. No one can find him so they can't stop him," Sarah told Emmett.

"I don't know how she got through it once, let alone twice," Rosalie whispered, and Sarah laughed darkly.

"She didn't get through it though did she? After we lost Renée, Bella just ran to Seattle and when he found her there she ran again. That's what she'll always do." She looked at me meaningfully. "You should bear that in mind, Edward." She stood up with the box and walked away.

No one spoke for a few minutes, the others were trying to digest the content of some of the letters but I was reeling. Sarah's words had punched a hole through my stomach.

_"She just ran, that's what she'll always do."_

"Jesus, Edward, you're really not the best guy for Bella to have in her life are you? Talk about making everything twice as hard for her," Emmett mumbled quietly but I couldn't respond.

The conversation had effectively killed the mood and in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere before we were served lunch, Phil brought out some photo albums and began showing us photographs of Bella as a baby. It worked and I was able to smile despite myself, she was adorable.

One photo in particular struck a chord with me. It was one of Bella and her mother. Renee's arms were wrapped tightly around her very young daughter and the smile on Bella's face was breath-taking. Her entire face shined and it pained me to think, I had never seen that look. All because of James.

The food went down a treat with everyone. My brother especially, and he even resorted to finishing anything left over on anyone else's plates. Once we'd finished eating, we chatted for a little while longer. Phil was eager to know all about what Bella was doing and I told him as much as I could. I could see the conflict in his face, on the one hand he missed Bella like he would had she been his own daughter, but I guessed he was still mourning the loss of his wife and as Bella had sadly pointed out, she was the worst reminder for him that Renée wasn't here anymore.

We said our goodbyes around two and drove back to the hotel. Purposely, Dad had kept Caitlyn occupied playing pool for most of the time we were in the pub, so she hadn't heard much about the conversation involving James so we didn't bring it up again in the car. I dropped the others off at the hotel and Emmett and I made our way over to the arena. As soon as we were alone we had a good talk about a few things.

"Can you really do it, Edward? Keep her hidden away from the world and never be seen out in public with her? It doesn't leave you with much in the way of places to go and things to do. I'm sure it's not been a problem for these past few weeks, I remember being more than happy to never leave the bedroom when Rosalie and I first got together, but that fades, bro. What are you going to do then?" Emmett could always be relied upon to bring up the questions you least wanted to hear, but it was something I'd already thought of.

"Em, I don't want to freak you out, but the only problem we have is the fame. If I was out of the public eye then we could act like any other couple." I paused I knew exactly what his reaction would be when I added the next sentence. "I'd give it up tomorrow for her if I thought she'd let me. It's not as though I'm irreplaceable, you're the big man in the group I'm just a bassist and I won't lose her for a job."

Emmett frowned. "That's not the answer and you know it. Bella can't spend the rest of her life in the shadows and neither can you. No one should have to sacrifice any part of their life just to keep away from some psycho who won't take no for an answer." He paused for a minute before adding, "Have you thought about security for her?"

"I've thought about it," I told him. "But can you see Bella letting me do that? She'd hate it."

Emmett nodded. "Well you never know, he might be gone for good. It's been a few years since she heard from him, right?"

"Two years. But I mean it, Em. If it came to a choice of keeping her safe and quitting the band...I won't even hesitate to pick Bella." I meant it and Emmett knew that.

I usually loved what I did and thought we were the luckiest guys in the world to get paid as much as we did to do something that we loved, but since meeting Bella my entire outlook had changed. I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world for a different reason now and that was all her.

He sighed and nodded, before saying, "Look, let's not talk about this anymore or I can totally see my fist connecting with your nose, and we wouldn't want to mess up that pretty face of your's before a gig, would we?"

He started talking about the gig, but I wasn't listening. The afternoon with Bella's family made me miss her even more and I was counting down the days just to see her again. I still had two months to go and believe me when I say those two months dragged like hell.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading, reviewing, and alerting!**

**More soon,**

**Katy**

**xx**


	17. Chapter 17

**Edited by the wonderful Pre-reader and FYI - I own nothing!**

**Chapter 14 - Here Without You**

**BPOV**

After returning from holiday, I still had to wait nine and a half weeks for my reunion with Edward. Alice and Jasper became even more inseparable, and even Angela had arranged to meet up with Ben as soon as he was back from his vacation. So I found myself spending as much time as I could over at Edward's apartment. During the day I would sit out on his balcony and read book after book. The weather had been great and I managed to keep my tan nicely topped up. Then, when the sun began to set and the temperature dropped I would go for a run around the reservoir.

I had a special play list set up which was filled entirely with Zeus songs and I had it on repeat. When I got back to his place I would shower using his toiletries, and even found that I would spray his aftershave in the air just to remember how good he smelled. But, I never slept in his bed; that was too much for me to stand.

Edward told me to bring along Angela and Alice to make the most of his huge flat screen, but I didn't, because this part of him I wanted to keep to myself. I used it as my grasp on reality, my proof that that everything I had fantasized and dreamed about did actually happen and that in sixty seven days I would get him back.

I looked forward to our phone calls, I didn't care what time it was here when he got chance to call and I told him that. We chatted until the early hours after his concerts were over and I shuddered at the thought of his phone bill but I didn't care enough to let him hang up.

It had been difficult when he told me he was planning on visiting Thames Ditton, I tried to dissuade him but he wasn't going to budge and I decided to prepare a nice welcome for him.

I hadn't spoken to Phil or Sarah in so long and I told myself it was just to keep where I was a secret from James, but that wasn't the real issue. It broke me inside every time I heard their voices, because there should have been someone else I could here in the background, someone else there with them, but she wasn't.

Phil had answered the phone and it choked me up instantaneously. The sound of his voice took me back six years to the funeral, the reading Phil had made about Mum. He told the congregation just how wonderful she was and how he was only half of the man he used to be without her. I knew he was only being honest and heartfelt but those words had ripped me to pieces, it was because of _me_ that he felt like that.

How could I ever look at him again and not remember the broken man that stood before me? I had spoken to him only twice since that day, informative calls really, just to tell him I was moving again. It wasn't something I was proud of, but it was my way of burying the past.

Of course he was delighted to hear from me and that made me feel even worse, I avoided as many questions about my life in New York as I could and told him to expect Edward paying the pub a visit tomorrow. I felt rude and evasive but I couldn't stay on the phone and chat, I could barely speak, even just imagining him standing and talking to me, I could see where my mother should have been standing and I could see her holding her hand out for the phone excitedly to hear what I had to say. I missed her so much and knowing Edward would be where she was most at home was physically painful for me to imagine.

After I hung up, I crumpled into a heap in the kitchen and I was quickly and silently joined by Alice, she said nothing she just wrapped one of her arms around my shoulders and let me cry it out.

"I haven't seen you like this in so long, Bella, I haven't heard you cry at night either," she whispered as I began to calm down. She looked at me knowingly and I nodded. "I love him for that you know, Bella. I honestly thought that I'd lost the real you years ago, but here you are and it's because of Edward."

I smiled. "I know it's stupid, but just thinking about him being in that pub, makes me feel like I'm losing her all over again. I wanted to beg him not to go but I couldn't, I didn't want him to think I was completely fucked up."

"He loves you, Bella," she said. "Besides, you're not fucked up-you're just dealing with things in your own way. You've had more shit to deal with in the last six years than most people have in a lifetime." I leaned my head into her arm and we sat there in silence for a few minutes.

~x~

When the summer holidays were finally over I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. That had been my first milestone. In a sad and pathetic moment just after Edward left, I decided to break down the time apart into different sections.

Returning to work was the first, and the second was the first of September, because once we were in September I could say that I would see Edward next month. The third and final one was the first of October, and that meant I could say that I would see Edward that same month. Sad? Of course, but it was helping.

I had been right, returning to work at the Ross' helped pass the time and September came and went quicker than I thought it would. I soon found we were in October and I had only fourteen days to wait before Edward would be back in New York.

Once again, the days ticked by surprisingly fast. Each morning I found a little more energy in my step, the smiles came much more freely, and when I walked anywhere I had to fight the urge to skip down the street. Edward's last concert was on the eleventh of October in Canada and then he had a few wrap meetings he needed to attend in LA before he flew back to the city. He was scheduled to be back mid morning on Monday the fourteenth.

The only downside to this was I would be working when he got home and I would have to spend the entire day knowing he was back and wait until late that night to finally see him. I was hedging bets that the fourteenth of October would be the longest day of my life.

The last Friday before he returned home I was working at Art's. Alice and Angela were both out on dates so rather than go home alone I decided to head over to Edward's apartment and hang out there for a while. I showered and pulled on a pair of shorts and one of Edward's huge sweaters. I went into the lounge, curled up on the couch and watched an old rerun of a Ranger's game.

I barely caught ten minutes of the match before I drifted off to sleep. I woke with a start a little after four in the morning and text Alice to let her know where I was. I didn't fancy going home now so I put my head back down on the cushion and waited to fall back to sleep. I caught a glimpse of a silhouette at the far end of the couch, someone was sitting watching me and I froze for a second, until that person spoke.

"Hey." Edward smiled and leaned forward.

I was lost for a few seconds, unable to decide if I was dreaming or if this was real. I decided to go with it as real and practically leaped over the couch and onto his lap. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and felt my eyes brim with tears.

"Oh my God, you're back, I can't believe it. You're not supposed to be here until Monday." I kissed his face, his lips and his neck. Never letting my grasp loosen, he had his arms wound tightly around my waist and his face buried in my shoulder.

"I point blank refused to go to LA, it was only a few meetings and a photo shoot for the new album sleeve. I told them I was coming straight here, I needed to see you." He moved his hands up and held my face tightly. "Fuck, I've missed you, Bella." He pressed his mouth hard against mine and kissed me intensely.

I wanted nothing more than to feel him, and we didn't move from the couch. I sat on his lap, kissing him, running my hands through his hair and over his arms and chest. I pushed his jacket off his shoulders and pulled the t-shirt over his head. I pressed my hands over his warm chest and stomach and familiarized myself with every inch of his body once again.

Edward appeared to be doing the same and he raised my arms up and removed the sweater I was wearing. I felt his hands roam my body; they ran up and down my back and over my hips to my thighs which were wrapped tightly around him.

I moved my hands to his jeans, unbuckled his belt and opened the button and fly. As I went to pull them down he stood me up and pulled my own shorts and underwear off, he raised his hips and shuffled out of the rest of his clothes and then pulled me back down onto him slowly.

Neither of us moved for a minute or so, we were content to enjoy every part of this reunion. His lips didn't leave mine as we slowly began to move together. My hands were shaking, I was so caught up in the moment I was literally falling apart.

"I'm can't...I'm going to..." he panted.

Finally seeing him, kissing him, and feeling him after all those months was equally too much for me, and as I climaxed so did he.

"I missed you," I murmured against his lips. "I missed being with you like this. I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella," he whispered. "I swear to fucking god, I'm never leaving you like that again.

I was in absolute awe, the three months apart had been torture but it had taught me one thing; I loved him more than I ever thought possible and I would _never_ allow anything to happen to him.

~x~

"How long had you been here?" I asked. We were still on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and I was twirling my fingers in his wonderfully messy hair. I couldn't take my eyes from his, I was almost convinced I was dreaming and I'd wake up and have to wait another two days to see him.

"Only a few minutes. I came to drop my bags off and then I was heading straight over to your place, but Malcolm told me you were here. You were fast asleep and I didn't like to wake you, well not straight away anyway. I was more than happy to stare at you for a minute or so, I couldn't believe I was actually home, I've been waiting for it for so long it didn't seem real." Edward's eyes were drooping as he spoke.

"You're exhausted, Edward." I went to move but his hands grabbed my hips and pulled me back.

"I am, but I'm not moving." He shuffled us down the couch and then swung his legs up so we could lie down. He wrapped the blanket around us and just a few minutes later he was fast asleep.

I was sure I would be far too excited to get back to sleep, but Edward's peaceful, rhythmic breathing soon relaxed me and I let myself drift off.

It was only early when I woke up but I didn't want to go back to sleep, I tried to turn around so I could face Edward, happy to watch him for a while. Unfortunately I hadn't realised how close I was to the edge of the couch and I fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Ow, crap that hurt," I muttered, and I heard a soft and sleepy chuckle.

Edward leaned forward over the couch. "That's what you get when you try and get up."

I stood up and rubbed my back and hip which were still throbbing from the fall onto the hard floor. "I wasn't trying to get up, I wanted to roll over, but someone had taken up that much bloody room I couldn't do it without falling. I climbed back onto the couch to face him. "I'm glad I woke you though, I hate to waste time on sleeping now you're here."

He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose softly. "I couldn't agree more."

"How did you get back so fast? I thought you were performing last night."

"I was, but I flew straight out after it finished. I threw a tantrum before we went on stage and told them I wasn't going back to LA." He smirked. "I think I scared them actually, no one said a word and Johnny arranged for me to have the shots done next week."

"A tantrum, huh?" I giggled. "I'd like to have seen that."

Edward grinned at me. "What can I say? I have a twelve year old sister. She's taught me a few things about getting your own way."

We didn't move for a while, we talked about the tour, kissed, and then talked some more. A few hours later, my phone rang. I groaned and sat up to answer it. Before I even had chance to say hello, Alice started to rant down the phone at me.

"Bella, are you still at Edward's? Get ready, we're going shopping. It's Jasper's birthday and I want to treat him to something nice and sexy." Alice's mission for the past months had been to keep me well and truly occupied so I didn't wallow in self pity too much.

"Not today, Alice, loo-" I tried to explain but she interrupted me quickly.

"Come on, Bella, I know you aren't the biggest fan of shopping bur I'm not letting you mope about in that apartment all day. You could always buy something sexy for when Edward gets back next week."

"No need, Alice, Edward got back early this morning and no offence but I don't want to go shopping."

Alice's toned changed instantly, "Oh well in that case, I'll let you guys get back to it. Thank God for that, you might be able to crack a smile now. Call me later, Hun, Okay?" I heard the smile in her voice as she hung up.

Edward moved forward and pressed his lips on the nape of my neck tenderly. "Good job you said no. I had no intention of letting you leave the apartment at all this weekend."

I turned to kiss him, but he surprised me by pushing me away slightly, he moved and stood up. "I need to shower."

I huffed in protest and he laughed at me. I smiled as I understood his meaning when he took my hand and pulled me with him towards the bathroom.

_Ah yes, let's shower. I feel very dirty indeed. Hee, hee, hee._

We didn't move from the bedroom for the rest of the day, it was after six when Edward decided he was ravenous and insisted on ordering in a pizza. We sat in the kitchen to eat and he cursed when his cell phone rang.

"What's up, Caitlyn?" He listened for a few minutes and then glanced at me before a frown crept onto his face. "I don't think she'll -"

I could hear his sister whining down the line as she cut him off. I had to bite back a smile. This twelve year old was as savvy as they come and she had everyone wrapped around her little finger.

After her rant was over Edward sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll ask her, Caitlyn, but I'm not promising anything. I'm hanging up now okay? I'll call you tomorrow."

I looked up at him, waiting for his explanation and thought he looked a little anxious. "Ask me what?"

Edward hesitated before he spoke, "It's Caitlyn's birthday party in a few weeks and she wants you to come with me." I could hear the reluctance in his voice, and to me it was obvious that he didn't want to ask.

"Oh and you'd rather I didn't go?" I responded sadly.

Edward's face fell and he began to protest, "No, no, no. I'd love to take you with me. I just didn't think you'd want to go. There won't be press there of course, and because there'll be loads of annoying teenagers we can't have alcohol to help make it more bearable. We'll have our own private corner to hide in with my brother and parents, but I don't want you to feel cornered, Bella."

I smiled, after spending three months away from him, I wasn't going to let my insecurities come between us and I refused to be worried about being seen at a party. After all, it wasn't going to be a paparazzi fuelled frenzy or anything. Just a party for a thirteen year old girl and her friends. "That sounds like fun, Edward. I'd really like to go."

"Yeah?" Edward relaxed and grinned. "Well then it looks like we're taking a trip. The party's in LA."

I couldn't help but feel the usual wave of anxiety ripple through me, but I ignored it, fought the worry back down and refused to deal with it.

"How long have you got to yourself now?" I asked, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"We've got the shoot for the new album cover. It's gone platinum again, so the label want to re-launch it with a few extra bonus tracks. After that there are just a few interviews at the beginning of December and we've also got the wrap party. Unless we agree to anything else, I'm done for the rest of the year. I'll be away Tuesday night next week, but I'll be back Wednesday and then I'm all yours until December."

One night? I could deal with that.

Having Edward back in my life was wonderful. The days and weeks flew by. He would always get up with me when I went to work each morning, although he went back to bed the second I left the apartment. He waited for me as I worked at Art's and we spent our weekends at the Ice Cream Parlour, Ma's, and lounging around his apartment. I even managed to get him out jogging a few times.

If we went out, it tended to be to Art's. Emmett and Rosalie were living together again in LA but Seth and Garrett were back in the city and we were regularly joined by those two, and Alice and Jazz-who was fast becoming friends with Edward and the rest of the guys.

Caitlyn's party was approaching and I began to feel nervous. It terrified me to think someone could quite easily out us and then I'd be a sitting duck waiting for James to come back again. Alice demanded I snap out of it and just let it be, she took me shopping for a dress to wear to the party. Caitlyn's theme was black and white and the guests were ordered to stick to that dress code.

We were flying over to LA on the Friday afternoon before Caitlyn's party on the Saturday. Edward was a complete saint, he had arranged for a jet to fly us over there, rather than risk being seen together on a commercial flight. I gazed around the luxurious cabin, the huge leather seats were so comfortable it felt as though I were in a lounge in a hotel somewhere. They were so roomy I couldn't help but let my filthy mind run away with me.

_Oh now, there's an idea. Let's straddle our way into the Mile High Club._

I didn't, I was far too chicken and I kept my hands to myself for the entire flight. We landed at around seven in the evening and were met by Emmett who drove us over to Edward's parents' house in Malibu. It was right on the beach front and it was utterly magnificent.

_If we couldn't do Mile High Club, then let's do sex on the beach. Not the cocktail of course, nod, nod, wink, wink._

The interior was nothing like I expected. It was perfectly decorated of course, but it was homely and lived in. The walls were all soft, warm colours and it screamed family home. There were photos all over the wall's and childhood drawings stuck to the fridge in the kitchen.

Esme was preparing dinner for us and it smelled divine. "Bella, I'm so glad you could come. You've made Caitlyn's day. How have you been, sweetheart?"

I was greeted like a member of the family and it felt wonderful, I had missed this. My father was great but he wasn't the most affectionate of men. I had a very close relationship with my mother and she was more like my best friend, but since she'd been gone, the closest I'd had to a family was Alice and Angela. Now I had a girl who looked to me as an older sister and Edward's parents who welcomed me with open arms.

Caitlyn was at a friend's house until the morning and Emmett had returned home to the house he and Rosalie shared a few miles away. After dinner, we chatted for a few minutes but I was exhausted, it was almost two in the morning, Eastern Time, and I had been up since six on Friday. I thanked Esme for the food and for letting me stay and let Edward show me up to our room.

I slept well, really well to say I was in a strange bed, but of course I was sleeping beside Mr. Delicious so I suppose that had to help. Caitlyn was home, I could hear her pestering Esme to come and wake us up.

"No, Caitlyn, let them sleep. I know you're excited to see Bella but she'll be up soon enough."

I laughed quietly and woke Edward. "We need to get up, your sister is back and she's driving your mother nuts trying to wake us up." I went to roll away and get up, but he stopped me and rolled on top.

"Mm, let's not move right at this minute." His voice was still sleepy and his eyes were puffy, but the rest of his body was certainly wide awake.

"Edward, we really shouldn't, your mother and sister are just down the hall."

Of course he ignored me and began kissing down my cheek, neck shoulder and beyond. The man knew exactly what he was doing and I forgot what I was trying to stop. I caved and he chuckled against my skin as he worked his way back up to my lips.

A moan automatically escaped when Edward pushed inside me slowly, and Edward kissed me quickly to try and stifle it.

"Ssh," he chuckled.

_Bah, let's switch, Mr. D, and see how you'd fare with "quiet" when you're doing that magic!_

Thankfully, the bed didn't squeak and the headboard didn't bang against the wall, but Caitlyn obviously heard something and she knocked on the door.

"Are you guys up yet?" she whined through the door and we froze.

"Yeah, Caitlyn, just give us a minute and we'll be right out," Edward was straining to keep his voice normal and he began to continue, clearly expecting his sister to leave us alone.

"Can I come in, Edward, please? It's my party today and I want to see Bella and show her my dress." I saw the handle move slightly on the door.

"No!" Edward shouted, breathlessly. "Caitlyn, let us get dressed first, yeah? Just give Bella a few minutes and she'll be with you okay?" He was still moving slowly inside me and it was torture.

"Aw, Edward, come on let me in, please," Caitlyn whined.

"Jesus, Caitlyn, leave us alone," he grumbled.

"I'll be one minute, Caitlyn, I promise." My voice faltered at the end as Edward wiggled in protest.

"Oh hi, Bella. Okay, I'll just wait out here for you then."

"Are you kidding? Bella, there's no way I'm letting you leave _now_."

"She's going to end up walking in, Edward," I whispered.

Edward groaned in frustration as he accepted the fact we were done...before we were actually done. He rolled over, swearing under his breath, so I jumped out of bed and dressed quickly.

Before I left the room I leaned over and kissed him. "Sorry, Edward, we'll finish this later, I promise."

_I don't want to finish later God damn it. Tell the brat we'll be out soon._

I could see he was a little pissed so I ruffled his hair playfully.

"Too right we will. I should have checked us into a hotel, we'll never get any privacy with Caitlyn hanging around." He pouted and I had to giggle. "I'll be down soon, I need a cold shower."

I watched him trudge into the bathroom before I went to join Caitlyn.

_Bye bye, beautiful bottom..._

Edward's sister dragged me into her bedroom and proceeded to show me everything she had been given for her birthday in September. It was because of the tour that she had waited until now for her party. I hadn't forgotten to get her a gift but Edward had made me wait to give it to her myself. I nipped back to Edward's room and took the gift box from my bag. I handed it to Caitlyn and she knew what it was immediately and her eyes flickered to my own bracelet when she saw the charm that was in the box.

"It's the one like yours." She grinned and snatched to my wrist, looking for my charm. "Hey, you aren't wearing it, did you give me yours?"

I nodded. "Well it was a discontinued line and I scoured the internet and stores all over the city but couldn't find anything. I knew you really liked it and I wanted you to have it."

Caitlyn leaped forward and threw her arms around my neck, "Thanks, Bella, this is the best present I've got. Come on let's go and show Mom." She jumped up and yanked me down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Mom, Mom, look. Bella gave me her charm, the one I liked. How sweet is that?"

She thrust the box into her mother's hand and I saw Edward hovering by the door. He looked at me, an unreadable expression on his face before he walked over to us.

Esme smiled warmly. "That's lovely, Bella. She had us looking everywhere for that one."

I felt Edward's arm curl around my waist and he reached over to ruffle his sister's hair playfully. "You don't get to keep Bella all day you know."

Caitlyn stuck out her tongue in response but otherwise ignored him. "Bella, do you want to come and help us get the room ready?"

I was about to politely decline but luckily, Esme stepped in. "No, Caitlyn, leave Edward and Bella alone for a while. We're only going over there to check everything's in order. Go and get ready, we're off to the salon afterwards." She smiled at us apologetically and ushered a grumbling Caitlyn out of the kitchen.

"Looks like I've got some competition for your attention." Edward kissed my temple and moved away to the fridge to forage for breakfast ingredients. "Hungry?"

"Starving, but I didn't think you could cook?" I asked.

"How hard can it be to cook breakfast?" As he was rifling through the shelves he said quietly. "You didn't have to give Caitlyn that charm, Bella. I know it was one that your mother got you."

I shook my head dismissively. "I knew she liked that one and it felt nice to give her something I knew she wouldn't be able to go out and buy herself. Besides, it's just a charm, Edward. My mum also got me the bracelet and I won't be giving that away. Your sister has been great with me ever since you first brought me to your parents' home; all of your family have. I can't believe it considering the whole James situation. By rights they should have escorted me out of your life the minute they knew about everything."

Edward rolled his eyes. "The only thing that they want is for me to be happy and they know that I am when I'm with you. I don't care about James, so neither do they."

I walked over to him and hugged him tightly. "Hey, step to it. I'm starving." I inclined my head towards the stove and laughed.

"Hey, you two." Emmett and Rosalie walked into the kitchen and sat down at the counter.

I had only met her once before and as it was the first time I'd also met the rest of his family I didn't really get much chance to speak to her. I glanced over at her and smiled shyly. Even if I hadn't already known what she did for a living it wouldn't have been hard to guess. She was strikingly pretty; really distinctive, with prominent cheekbones and brilliant white teeth. I figured she had to be almost six feet tall and was extremely slender. The way she carried herself screamed model, she was effortlessly graceful-the complete opposite of me. Spending time in LA with all these perfect people would start to take its toll on me.

"It's nice to meet you again, Bella." She flashed me a pearly white smile which would have been a great advertisement for a dental hygiene product. "We could have done with you being on the road with us. Edward was a lovesick fool the entire time we were away. He drove us crazy."

"She knows how much I missed her," Edward said smugly and kissed my cheek.

"Edward, how's Caitlyn? Bouncing off any walls yet?" Emmett laughed and helped himself to a cup of coffee watching Edward attempt to cook us some breakfast.

"Of course, but she's got the hump on. She won't leave Bella alone. This morning she sat outside my door while we...um...while we got dressed just so she could show Bella her room." I cringed at Edward's pause, it was a very poorly disguised attempt to cover up exactly what Caitlyn had interrupted.

"At least she likes her, Edward. Jesus can't you remember how she was with Tanya? Even Rose got the cold shoulder when we first met." Emmett was laughing to himself.

Tanya was Edward's most recent ex. A television actress by day and according to Edward, she could add fame-hungry, cold-hearted, bitch to her resume. I had seen photo's of them together in magazines and they looked like the perfect celebrity couple.

"Yeah, that's true." Edward turned to look at me. "Fucking hell she hated Tanya with a passion. When she first met her Caitlyn was a complete witch. She spilled a strawberry milkshake over her white jacket and 'accidentally on purpose' put chewing gum in her hair. Tan absolutely flipped out and it was one of the first times she let the inner bitch reveal herself. I guess I should thank Caitlyn really for my lucky escape."

He turned his attention back to the stove and swore. "Fuck, who am I kidding? I can't cook for shit, I've got no idea what this is even supposed to be."

We all laughed and I tried to save his attempt, it wasn't the worst tasting version of scrambled eggs I'd ever had but it certainly was the worst looking. We did nothing much for the rest of the day, Caitlyn was beside herself with excitement and I volunteered to help her get ready.

The theme for the party was black and white for all the other guests, but as Caitlyn was the birthday girl she was wearing a fuchsia pink, princess gown. It wasn't cheap looking, even with the gaudy colour she looked adorable. Her long sleek hair had been curled and she wore a touch of make up on her face. I brushed some of my own lip gloss on her lips and then dropped the tube into her little purse.

After her parents had given their seal of approval she danced downstairs to wait for her friends to start arriving. Some of her closest friends were coming over before the party and were riding in the Limo with Caitlyn and her parents. She had wanted Emmett, Rosalie, Edward and I to go with them, but Edward had refused. He wasn't exactly thrilled about spending the night at a party geared towards hyperactive teenagers, and he had no intention of spending any amount of time with screaming girls cooped up in a car.

Edward was still showering when I got back into his room, I'd already done that so I started on my makeup and hair. I was letting my hair hang down so it just took a quick application of the straighteners to perfect it. I'd just finished my make up when Edward emerged from the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist. He was dripping wet, little droplets of water running down his chest and down his stomach.

_Mamma Mia. Wet is so sexy. Wow. Lick it off!_

I was stood gaping at him and he smirked. I was almost speechless when he pushed me down onto the bed, the smirk still playing on his lips. "We need to finish what we started this morning. It's been driving me crazy all fucking day." He kissed me so passionately that I didn't even protest once.

Who was I kidding? I was as bad as he was.

Of course, once we were finished I had to freshen up and then re-do my hair and make-up, I still managed to get dressed and make it downstairs in plenty of time.

I was wearing a black dress; the top half resembled a corset with white strings at the back, and the bottom hugged my hips. It fell to just below the knee, and I had white pumps to match.

Edward was on fine form as usual, he was in all black. Black shirt, black tie, black jacket and black trousers. But instead of looking like a member of the Addams family he looked the sexiest I'd ever seen him.

_Apart from in all his naked glory of course._

Emmett and Rosalie looked like they were preparing to attend a red carpet event. He wore a black tux with a white shirt and tie and Rosalie had a stunning white dress on. It was a slinky material that reflected the light so it appeared she had diamantes sewn into the dress. It fell to the floor and had a fabulous slit which ran up to the top of her thigh. The top of the dress was was bare at the back right down to just above her bottom.

We left the house first, so we were in place before Caitlyn arrived for her grand entrance. Esme and Carlisle looked stressed out and I couldn't blame them. I wouldn't want to spend any length of time in a room with six hysterical teenage girls waiting for what they were calling the party of the year.

The venue was already filled with guests and we were shown to a private area of the room which was out of sight of the rest of the party. Naturally, Edward and Emmett were noticed immediately and a few high-pitched squeaks were heard from some of the girls. Just after six-thirty, the planner announced Caitlyn had arrived. It was just like the sweet sixteen parties I'd seen on TV, the entire room exploded as she arrived.

The entire set up was extravagant. There were circus performers, ice sculptures, waiters and waitresses serving alcohol free punch and there was even a performance by a group called Knockturn. I remembered these from the concert I'd been to in New York. They were the support act for Zeus and it proved to be a popular move with the guests.

As we were standing with just Emmett, Rosalie, and occasionally visited by Edward's parents, I felt comfortable enough to lean into Edward and let him wrap his arm around my shoulder. When Rosalie had dragged Emmett to dance I even felt brave enough to kiss him a few times. Although I felt like a naughty little teenager checking the coast was clear before I did.

"Enjoying yourself?" Edward asked, his voice was laced with sarcasm.

"I am as a matter of fact, although I could murder a beer. Other than that it's been really good. Your sister can certainly plan a great party." I snuggled against him, completely at ease and I loved how it felt.

"Bella, come on. Let's call a spade a spade. This is a thirteenth birthday party, there's no alcohol, there are scores of screaming girls and a terrible selection of music. I can say that I was ready to leave the second I walked in, in fact if it wasn't for you being here with me I would have left ages ago." He was smiling as he spoke and I nudged him.

"That's rude, Edward Cullen. This is a new experience for me, all the birthday parties I went to included boring games like pass the parcel, musical chairs and party bags to take home. I think I missed out." I laughed and couldn't help but kiss him again.

Of course, we had to stay until the end of the night, but this was after all a party full of thirteen year olds so it was over relatively early. Caitlyn loved every minute and was gushing about all the gifts she had been given. She also started pleading for another party next year.

We helped load up Emmett's car with all the presents and then drove home. Edward's parents had to endure another car ride with the girls and we arrived home first. After the car had been emptied, Emmett and Rosalie went home and left Edward and I in the lounge waiting for his sister to return.

As soon as she was back, she begged and pleaded with her parents to open her gifts before she went to bed and I watched in astonishment as she did. There were designer purses, wallets, jewellery, gift cards in the hundreds of dollar limits and even a pair of concert tickets.

_Oh how the other half live eh?_

As soon as she opened the last one she was ordered to bed. Carlisle was asleep on the couch and Edward took her upstairs to say goodnight. I was left with Esme and I told her what a great party it had been.

"I dread to think what she's going to want for her sixteenth Birthday," she groaned.

"I bet my mum was relieved they never really made a big deal of it in England. The first 'big' one I had was my eighteenth, but even then there was no party like this." I laughed.

"What did you do to celebrate your eighteenth?" Esme asked.

I paused slightly. "A few of us went into London for the weekend and went to all the 'trendy' clubs and bars."

"That sounds like fun."

I nodded. "Yeah it was at first. But that was the night I met James, so I don't have too many fond memories of it now."

Esme shook her head in disgust and her face hardened. "I honestly don't know how you cope with it, Bella. Your step-sister let us read some of the letters he sent you. It was awful, that man needs to be locked away for life."

"That bastard should be beat to fucking death." Edward appeared in the doorway and moved to sit beside me on the edge of the couch. "Sorry for the language, Mom."

She nodded but stood and woke up her husband. "I should go and say goodnight to your sister, and it looks like your father needs an early night too."

After we were alone Edward pulled us back on the couch and I buried my face into his neck. "What letters did you read?" I was a little angry with Sarah. She had no business showing anyone those. They achieved nothing and she should have thrown them out the second I left.

"She had a box full, I think she was doing it to try and scare me off. I wish I hadn't read them to be honest, some of them were disgusting." He rested his cheek on the top of my head.

"Sorry, I don't know what she was thinking, I mean I know she means well but still. You didn't need to read any of that." I tightened my grip on his waist. "I hope it didn't work."

Edward laughed lightly. "Afraid not, I love you and I'm here to stay."

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading, reviewing, and alerting. **

**More soon :D**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	18. Chapter 18

**Preread by Prettyflour, but I have tinkered with it so all mistakes are mine!**

**Chapter 18 - Crash and Burn**

**BPOV**

As the jet began its descent I looked at the view of Manhattan across the distance. I found a smile form on my face as I took in the sight. I was living a life I never thought I would get the chance to. I always assumed James had destroyed any chance of that for me, yet here I was flying into a city I felt at home in. Despite the hustle and bustle, despite the bitterly cold winters, and the backbreaking rent I had to pay each month, I was happy.

Happy with my job, delighted with my friends, and most of all completely in love with Edward in a way I thought only happened in the movies. I still felt a little lost inside, I needed only one thing to feel complete, but unfortunately the one thing I wanted most I could never have again. I thought back to the days after my mother died and felt the familiar ache in my chest; a part of me died when she did, and the guilt and shame consumed what remained.

My father found me the day before her funeral curled up in the hotel room like a child and for the one and only time in my life he held me while I sobbed every last tear that I had.

It had taken Alice so much time and effort to get me to move forward, and I thought I was doing fine. However, now that I had Edward, I realised what a shell of a person I had been for those years. I felt more alive than I could ever remember, and that wonderful feeling was closely accompanied by the guilt. Surely it was wrong that I was still able to feel that way when my mother was lying dead in the ground?

_Stop this. Listen to what Alice said to you. "Life is for living." Right now your life is bloody fantastic and enjoy it because you never know how long it's going to last._

I sighed in agreement, wondering silently, just how long this could go on? This was just too good to be true and surely something would have to bring me back down to earth soon enough, right?

_Maybe, but if you're lucky you'll fall slowly back down and land on a huge trampoline so you can bounce right back up again._

Unfortunately the reality was I would come crashing back down to earth sooner than I thought and there was no parachute or brake that I could deploy to steady my fall.

~x~

I jogged to work on Monday morning feeling like I was floating. The weather had shifted and yet my mood was still as bright and sunny as a summer day. I breezed into the Ross' and my very obvious good mood earned me a chuckle from Mr. and Mrs. Ross.

"Good morning, Bella. I take it you had a good weekend?" Carole asked as she readied herself to leave the house.

"It was wonderful thank you. How was yours?" I grinned.

"Same as usual. So what's his name?" She winked, and I stuttered and stammered trying to prepare an answer.

Luckily, Mia emerged from the kitchen and distracted her mother long enough for her to forget the topic of our conversation.

I barely made it an hour without texting or calling Edward, fortunately, he didn't seem concerned with my behaviour and he helped the day pass by much more quickly. I had originally planned to jog home, but I was severely lacking in motivation and for only the third time in the two years I'd worked at the Ross', I took a cab home.

As the driver battled his way through traffic, I noticed a magazine on the seat beside me and I reached over and picked it up. It was folded down the centre and I smiled as I saw a photo of Edward looking particularly dashing on the front cover.

_Mine, mine, mine._

As I opened it I couldn't help but gasp in horror. The picture of Edward had been taken at Caitlyn's party; I recognised the outfit he'd worn immediately. There was something else that sent a chill down my spine, that made my heart race, and my palms sweat. In the picture Edward had his arms wrapped around tightly around a dark-haired, smiling girl. That girl was me.

There was a photograph of Edward and I splashed all over the front of a very popular celebrity magazine and that wasn't the worst of it. I flicked quickly to the main feature and felt sick to the pit of my stomach. The entire piece was covered with photographs of us hugging, kissing, laughing, and sharing other affectionate moments. I rolled the magazine up and asked the driver to stop the car. I threw some money at him and made a dive outside.

I could barely breathe; it felt as though there was an elephant sitting on my chest. I was shaking and beads of sweat ran down the back of my neck. In a daze I turned away from Edward's apartment and walked back to East 75th.

My behaviour drew attention from the people I passed on the pavement, I didn't know if anyone recognised me from the photographs, or if they just thought I was some escaped mental patient, but frankly, I didn't care. I was starting to hyperventilate and the lack of oxygen left me dizzy. Somehow I managed to stumble into the apartment and sank to my knees as soon as the door closed behind me.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Bella, what the hell's wrong?" Alice darted to my side and grabbed my face. I shook my head and desperately tried to steady my breathing but I was failing miserably. "Angela, get your ass over here. NOW!"

Angela's door swung open and she raced over. "Shit, Alice, she's having a panic attack. We need to calm her down, get me a bag from the kitchen."

She moved next to me and encouraged me to lower my head between my knees. "Bella, listen to me, you have to calm down or you're going to pass out. Try to clear your mind completely, I want you to tell me the five times table like you'd recite it in school. Come on, honey, do it for me, please."

"One...times...five...is...five," I wheezed, and concentrated as hard as I could on doing as she asked. It helped, and I proceeded to slowly make my way through the times table.

A paper bag was thrust in front of my face and I was ordered to breathe in and out slowly into the bag. As I approached eleven times five, I realised that I was no longer feeling dizzy and my heart was racing a little less. Angela had distracted me enough to calm down and I was able to get a grip of myself.

"Sorry," I breathed into the bag and I looked up to see two pairs of panic-stricken eyes staring at me.

"What's wrong, Bella? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." Alice placed her hand on my shoulder. "Talk to me please, you're scaring me."

I shook my head, if I opened my mouth and told her what had got me into this state then I knew it would only be a matter of seconds before I started having another attack again. Instead I held out the magazine to her and she took it in confusion. Of course the second her eyes landed on the front cover, she sighed and dropped her head.

"What is it?" Angela asked, and then she gasped as Alice turned the cover around. "Oh no, oh God. What does it say?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I hadn't been able to get past the pictures. All I could think about was just how obvious it was me, and there was no hiding from that. If _he_ saw this article then he'd find me again. Simple as that really.

Alice started reading the article out loud and I tried not to listen, but it didn't work.

**_"These photos were taken over the weekend in Los Angeles at Caitlyn Cullen's Thirteenth birthday party. Caitlyn is the younger sister of Emmett and Edward Cullen, members of the popular band, Zeus. _**

**_Recently, the rumor mill has gone into overdrive with claims Edward was involved with someone for the first time following his split from actress, Tanya Denali. However, this is the first sighting of his supposed new girlfriend, and as yet, no one has come forward to identify her. _**

**_According to the source who caught the pair on camera, Edward never left the pretty brunette's side and neither seemed concerned with displaying affectionate. _**

**_We are calling out to anyone who recognises this girl, to come forward and share their information with us._**_**"**_

"At least they don't know who you are, I mean J..._he..._might not have seen the pictures, Bella. This is a US publication and unless he's interested in celebrity gossip then it's not a magazine he'll even read, right?" Angela was trying to reassure me but she hadn't even convinced herself so she did nothing to help me whatsoever.

"What did Edward say?" Alice asked softly and I didn't answer. After a minute of silence she asked again and I looked at her sadly. "He doesn't know? Bella, why haven't you told him? Does he even know that you're here?"

Before I could say a word she snatched up my purse and took out my cellphone. "Edward, can you come over to our apartment, Bella kinda needs you right now...no, no, she's fine, well maybe not fine, but trust me you need to get over here, okay?"

I didn't move for the next ten or fifteen minutes, the room started spinning again, but this time it wasn't for lack of oxygen. There were too many terrifying thoughts swirling around my head. James would see the pictures, James would come to New York looking for me, and James would hurt Edward. The visions of Jacob lying in the hospital bed battered and bruised appeared and his face was replaced with Edward's. My Edward would be hurt. Would James even let Edward walk away?

Then there was Alice; James hated her with every bone in his body. He thought she was the reason I kept moving away, what would he do to my best friend?

A frantic pounding on the door brought me out of my daze and I stood slowly to open the door. Edward burst in and looked at me desperately.

"What's going on? Alice said you needed me, Bella. Tell me what's wrong." He placed both hands on my shoulders and the same panic-stricken look on his face as Angela and Alice a few minutes earlier.

I still hadn't said a word and before Edward could get any more worked up Alice handed him the magazine. I glanced at him while he was looking at it and he closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. His face was torn with disgust, anger, and remorse.

"Shit, Bella, I'm so sorry. I should never have asked you to go to her party...it was supposed to be private...I honestly thought we were safe there. It'll be okay I promise, Bella. I can fix this." He pulled me into him roughly and wrapped his arms tightly around my shoulders, burying my face into his chest. The tears started to flow and I let a few of the pent-up emotions find a release.

"Listen, Bella, the article admitted they don't know who you are and it said the pictures were taken in LA. If James does see this, that's where he's going, there is no mention of New York at all. You'll be fine, you'll be fine." Alice stood behind me, she tried her hardest to sound convincing but her voice gave her away. She could barely get the words out. She choked on every single syllable and I couldn't respond.

Edward never moved, he kept his arms wrapped tightly around me and I don't know how long we stood there in silence. It could have been one second or one day, he finally broke the silence and asked if we could stay in my apartment for the night, just until he could make sure there were no photographers camping out near his building.

I didn't say a word for hours, I was reliving every terrifying moment that James had brought to my life, mentally preparing myself for the inevitable, either that he would find me once again or that I would have to leave the city. I wanted neither to happen but I knew that somewhere in the not so distant future I would have to decide which I wanted to happen the least.

I knew it had only just come to press, I knew that it was only a big seller in and around the east coast and I knew that there was no mention of who I was, yet still I couldn't help but feel that I was being watched already.

EPOV

I was fucking disgusted with myself. I had done this to her, I was the reason she looked absolutely torn to pieces with fear. I shouldn't have taken her. I should have kept her at arm's length at the party. I was supposed to be the responsible one and I had just potentially ruined her God damn life.

My girl was ashen and shaky, I could see she was on the verge of breaking down and I didn't want her to go through that again.

Alice and Angela seemed convinced she would be okay, as the article hadn't named her specifically. They told her that James would go looking for her in LA if he did see the pictures. But I could see from Bella's eyes that she didn't agree. After all this was the guy who had trailed her for almost seven years.

Yes James may go to LA initially, but if he couldn't find Bella there, all he had to do was follow me and inevitably I would lead him right to her. Bella was his fixation, his obsession and he would do all he could to get to her again. I also knew that when he finally tracked her down in Seattle he had turned violent quickly. I needed to protect her, I had to be meticulous and vigilant, because I would not put her at risk. I would need to use cabs, the car service, and when walking take long routes to and from my apartment. I would have to stay away from Arts while Bella was there and make sure that he never got the opportunity to see her.

I also started formulating another plan in my head, an illegal one. I could find someone to find him, and take care of him once and for all; not a warning like Bella's father gave him in England. I knew it came with risks, but what else could I do? I wasn't letting him destroy her again. As long as he was alive, Bella wasn't, it was that simple. She could never live her life without looking over her shoulder and I should help her, I could help her, and I would help her.

These thoughts ran over and over in my mind all night. We were laying side by side in her bedroom and I was running my hands through her hair softly. She had finally fallen asleep about an hour earlier after literally clamming up for the entire night. As I held her she trembled, her entire body was rigid. Even in slumber she was still tense and unsettled, she clung onto my shirt, her knuckles white with the strength of the grip and her face was nestled right into my chest. I hear a faint tap at the door and I whispered that I was still awake.

Alice stepped inside the room, her face fraught with worry. "How is she?" Her voice shook as she spoke.

"She finally fell asleep about an hour ago. Have you spoken to Phil?" Alice had offered to call Bella's family in England to see if they could find anything out about James.

She nodded sombrely. "Sarah called someone who worked with his father, but according to him, James hasn't been back to the UK since he was released from prison. No one knows where he is, but if he is here in the US he's here illegally-he wouldn't get approved for entry with his criminal record." She paused and whispered, "What I knew about James...well he wasn't the kind of guy to read tabloids, Edward...if we're lucky, he might not even know about you two."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." I sighed. "I've tried to talk her out of it, but Bella's insisted on going to work tomorrow. I don't want her going anywhere alone and I don't think it's a good idea if I walk with her. Would you mind?"

"Of course not, I'll be up and ready for her, Edward. You should get some sleep too, you know," she warned as she closed the door.

How had it come to this? Twenty-four hours ago, things were perfect and now they were so uncertain it was frightening. I snuggled my face against Bella's hair and tried to close my mind off enough that I could sleep. I hadn't even realised she was awake, so it took me completely off-guard when she rolled over me and looked straight into my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't mean to wake you." I ran my hands down her face. "Do you need anything?"

She dropped her head and kissed me tenderly before she whispered, "You." I felt her hands move into my hair and she pulled me closer, a desperate need in her actions and I felt the same way. She pulled back slightly to catch her breath and said, "I don't want him to start interfering already. I've just spent three months without you and I don't want to waste another second."

~x~

Tuesday and Wednesday were the most stressful days I could ever remember. Bella was adamant she would continue as normal and refused to even consider calling in sick for either the Ross' or for her shift at Art's on Tuesday night.

I couldn't sit still while she was at work at the Ross'; I was almost sick with worry. I called her constantly and even resorted to walking up and down Central Park West a few times during the day just to make sure no one was waiting around outside the Ross' house.

I got to Art's at about four and asked if I could camp out in his office until Bella arrived. He recognised something was wrong immediately and demanded an explanation. I told him about the magazine article and he let out a whole range of, "Fucks and shits," in response. Even though he never actually said the words, I could clearly see the expression, "I told you so," written all over his face.

Bella was escorted into the bar a little after six thirty, Angela had her arm tightly in Bella's. I cringed as I noticed Bella's face-it was chilling. She was rigid, detached, her expression was almost vacant, and she seemed like a completely different person. When she caught me looking she quickly shifted her features and smiled warmly. I put it down to the fact she was scared to death and moved over to give her a tight hug, something I'd been desperate to do all day. I felt paranoid, but something in the way she reacted scared me, she gave nothing of herself back in the embrace. She let me hold her and she wrapped her arms around me but it felt wrong somehow.

I forced my concerns to the back of my mind. Bella was terrified, the very thing she feared the most had resurfaced; the man she had spent six years running from was likely to appear back in her life and she was just trying to deal with it. She certainly didn't need my childish insecurities about a hug to add to her worries.

But, if I expected her to soften at all then I had been vastly mistaken. This cold and distant Bella remained and the way she was acting scared me. I felt as though I was losing her and I had no idea what to do to help.

As Tuesday and Wednesday passed with no new stories or photographs emerging, I began to cling onto the hope that James had missed the story. There were no phone calls, flowers, or anything else to suggest he was here in the city, but I never said anything to Bella, because false hope wasn't going to help. She was still putting on the façade that nothing was wrong, but it was all a front. I shared a bed with her and she barely managed a full hour's sleep without waking up shaking.

On Thursday morning Jasper, Alice's boyfriend, had volunteered to walk Bella to work. He went out of his way to do it as the station he worked at was in midtown, but he seemed as concerned for her as we all were. I knew Bella hated the escort but she was outnumbered. Alice, Angela, Jasper, and I all agreed that she shouldn't take any chances just in case, but it caused countless arguments between Bella and the girls and even Bella and I fought about it.

Arguing was something Bella and I had never done. In fact, so far we hadn't even shared so much as a raised voice since we got together, yet in the last two days I'd seen a completely different side to Bella. Gone was the easygoing, fun, loving woman I'd fallen head over heels for within the first ten seconds of meeting her. Instead I was presented with someone completely different. She was withdrawn, short-tempered, and barely showed any affection to anyone. I understood why, and I just tried to reassure her I would be there for her no matter what.

Any words we had usually revolved around the fact that I insisted someone accompany her everywhere. I couldn't personally walk her to work, so instead the responsibility ended up with Alice, Angela, and even Jasper. Bella hated it, but I had to know she was safe and I refused to be budged.

We spent the majority of our time during those first few days cooped up in her apartment. The basic building on E75th was never going to be somewhere the paparazzi would come looking for me and they still didn't know who Bella was or where she lived. Alice and Angela were going to meet her from work and as they were getting ready to leave a celebrity buzz story flashed up advertising the upcoming programme. I hadn't been paying attention until I heard my name. I whipped my head up and listened with dread.

_**Tonight on **_**C**_**eleb-buzz we can exclusively reveal the identity of Edward Cullen's mystery girlfriend. We'll be right back after these messages with the full story.**_

I put my head in my hands and I heard Alice swear furiously at the television. She moved to my side and sat down on the couch. "Shit, Edward, how can they know who she is? They can't know-it has to be bullshit, doesn't it?"

I shook my head, I hoped they were wrong, but I doubted they would go public with anything that they hadn't been able to verify. Newspapers and magazines were getting sued far too frequently for publishing inaccurate material and they had taken drastic steps to accompany each story with facts and evidence to prove their claims.

"I'll go and meet, Bella, and I won't say anything until we get back. Alice, you stay and watch this with Edward. God I hope they're wrong." Angela sighed and walked out of the front door-slamming it so hard behind her that I felt the impact vibrate through the floor and walls.

Alice and I sat in total silence, waiting for the commercials to finish so we could find out exactly how much they knew. I took a deep breath as a photo of Bella and me together at Caitlyn's party appeared on-screen and the presenter began to tell all.

_**"Following the photographs which emerged earlier in the week of Edward Cullen and his new girlfriend, we have been desperately trying to put a name to her face. An unnamed source close to the girl has revealed exclusively to Celeb-buzz, that her name is Isabella Swan, a British girl who lives and works in Manhattan. The very attractive girl lives on the Upper East Side and has apparently been involved with Edward for at least six months. We have also discovered that the twenty-five year old is the daughter of Charles Swan, CEO of Dalton-West Pharmaceuticals." **_

Another photo emerged on the screen, this was also of Bella but this time she was sitting with a young child in her lap. The face was pixellated and the room was unfamiliar to me but I heard Alice gasp.

"That's Ben Ross and that's inside their kitchen. How did they get that? God Mr. and Mrs. Ross are going to throw a fit. Fuck, Edward, what are we going to do?" Alice's eyes had filled with tears and she looked as white as a ghost.

I couldn't answer, I continued to listen to the presenters discussing Bella.

**_"The source also tells us that Isabella, or Bella, as she prefers to be called, is a nanny and works for a family on Central Park West. _**

_**"No further pictures of the couple have come to light, and the press officer for the band refused to make any comment confirming or denying the relationship."**_

_**"We'll keep you posted on any other developments as soon as we have them. I have to say, if I knew that all nannies looked like she does, I would have had kids years ago!"**_

Their banter continued for a few minutes before they switched to another story. I switched the television off and waited for Bella to arrive home.

"Edward, we need to be really careful with her. Trust me, if we don't handle this right, she'll shut down completely. I mean she's already started closing herself off but this will be too much for her to deal with. I honestly don't think she can live through that again." Alice's voice was barely audible, her throat sounded thick with emotion and I knew she was struggling to keep herself calm.

We reverted back to silence and waited. I felt sick, my head was throbbing, and I didn't know what to do. How did I tell her? I was still trying to plan my words when I heard a key in the lock and the door open. Alice and I leaped to our feet and headed to meet her.

As soon as she saw our faces her eyes widened. "What the hell is going on? Angela's barely spoken a word to me the whole way home and I walk into this." She gestured in our direction, her hands were shaking, as they had been all week but there was a hysteria to her that was new.

I couldn't stand to tell her anything before I had her in my arms, so I strode over to and pulled her into my chest.

"Bella," I began, feeling her resisting my hold, it cut through me like a knife. I could see what Alice meant, we were already losing her and what I was about to tell her could send her completely over the edge. "Bella, someone's told the media who you are. They know where you live, where you work and they even know about your father." I kept my fierce hold on her and refused to let her pull away at first.

"What...? Who...?" she choked out, and I could feel the dampness on my shirt from her tears. I pulled her back and took her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "Edward, he'll find..."

She couldn't speak, I could feel her entire body shaking, almost convulsing and her eyes were full of tears.

"Bella, please ssh. I won't let him hurt you. Do you hear me, Bella? I won't let anything happen to you, I swear to God." I locked my eyes on her but she couldn't hold my gaze. Her head dropped and she bit down hard on her lip.

Alice and Angela were standing on either side of me and they each placed a hand on her shoulders.

"Bella, listen to Edward, we're all here for you. If he does find you he won't get close to you." Angela was talking a few octaves higher than she usually did.

Frantic and scared of losing her friend might have affected her voice, but it hadn't affected her sincerity. But it was obvious Bella didn't share her confidence. Alice on the other hand was just staring at her friend, her expression entirely unreadable. She was watching Bella so intently it bothered me, I couldn't understand what she was doing.

Bella never said a word for a few minutes. I could tell it was taking all she had to not crumble right where she stood. I let her take in everything, always keeping her face in my hands.

After a while she looked up at me and pulled away. "I need a minute, please. I'm going to take a shower."

If I hadn't been watching her lips move, I wouldn't have known it was Bella speaking. Her usually warm and soft accent was replaced by an icy and harsh tone, and there was absolutely no emotion in it at all. She turned away from me without another word and walked into the bathroom.

"It's too late. She's already made up her mind. We've lost her," Alice whispered.

Suddenly, the conversation with Bella's stepsister replayed in my mind, and Sarah's words resonated in my head over and over. "_She just ran again. That's what she'll always do."_

But surely, Bella wouldn't run, not this time. She had me, we were too great together. She couldn't run out on us...could she?

I called my parents to warn them. They needed to know what to expect, because if James Hunter's track record was anything to go by, things would start to get a lot worse sooner rather than later.

As there was no point in hiding in her apartment any more, I suddenly became security conscious. I asked Bella if we could go back to my place. It was on a high floor and was secure; Bella's building didn't even have a locking front door. I sensed Bella's reluctance, but fortunately for me, Angela and Alice were both on my side and we railroaded Bella into agreeing. We walked without speaking back to my apartment and as soon as we were in the elevator I wrapped my arms around her, pressing my lips against her forehead. She immediately stiffened and moved away, pretending to fiddle with her purse.

Alice was right, she was shutting me out. She was so utterly terrified of him that she could barely function. I had no idea what to do, but I had to snap her out of it. I raced through a whole range of ideas. The things that I could do, and the places I could take her to keep her safe. I would do anything I could, anything that would stop me from losing her. However, somewhere in my mind I couldn't shake the feeling that my efforts would be in vain and that I had already lost her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I know, I know...stupid, stupid idea to go to that party, huh? Thanks for reading, reviewing, and hopefully trusting me? ;)**

**More soon,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N - Prettyflour is my wonderful prereader and did a great job on this for me, but I can't leave well enough alone so all mistakes are mine!**

**Chapter 19 - James**

**JPOV**

It was an eerily dark night, and the cloud cover was so heavy the moon was invisible. The musty smell from the earlier rain shower hung in the air and clung to my hair and clothes. The darkness was suffocating, I could feel myself gasping desperately, but painfully aware that I could not take the deep breath that my body was screaming for. Still the fear of suffocation was insignificant in comparison to the heart-wrenching ache I felt without _her_ near me. I yearned to hear _her _voice, smell her hair, touch her skin, and taste her lips once again.

For so long now I had been unable to see anyone other than her. Only one face was present in my mind every second of every day. The moment I saw her I knew she was mine and mine alone, and I realised every minute that had passed in my life had occurred only as a prelude to this. She loved me, of that I was certain, and with my feelings as consuming, passionate, and intense as they were, how could they not be reciprocated? From that very first day I had to ensure our lives would forever remain entwined.

As I waited for her, I thought about my life, everything that had made me what I am today. _James Hunter;_ the name sounds so normal, mundane even, but I was anything but normal. I lived an extravagant life since the day I was born. My father was a partner in a highly successful legal practice and he, my mother, and I were enjoying the fruits of his labour. We lived in an impressive house in the centre of London, our street boasted a range of celebrity neighbours and I grew accustomed to the extravagant lifestyle. I went without nothing as a child, the best clothes, gadgets, schools and as soon as I was old enough, I drove the most ostentatious cars that were available. The materialistic things were offered as a bribe for the fact I spent more time with the nanny or at home alone.

My father worked all hours in order to sustain our way of life, and my mother, well my mother was unique in her own way. She had been a modestly successful actress when she met my father, and after I was born she continued to pursue her dream to make it "big."

In a desperate attempt to further her foundering career, my mother would fuck anybody who was of remote importance in the business. She attended every party she could swing an invite to, and developed an addiction to both alcohol and cocaine. I lost count of the number of times she was rushed to the local hospital following an overdose..

One night in particular I remembered more than the others; it was a Saturday night and the nanny was taking a rare day off. The phone call from the hospital came at around four in the morning and my father had no choice but to drag his then thirteen year old son, along with him to collect his wife. As he spoke with the doctors, I peered through the window and looked at my mother. She was lying on the bed, her eyes were sagging and her mouth and face were black from the cocktail they had administered to pump her stomach. She looked more dead than alive and I felt angry. Not angry with her, but with my father. How could he let her do this? Why didn't he exert more control over her?

I made a decision that night as I looked over my mother's pathetic and sorry appearance. I would make sure that I was _always_ in control. No woman would ever disobey me or act inappropriately when I was around. I kept that mind-set with me through my teenage years and not once did it waiver.

My mother's behaviour never improved, if anything, it worsened. The years of drug and alcohol abuse left its mark on her looks and she found herself unable to fuck her way into acting jobs, so naturally her career dried up. She turned her attention back to the drink in an attempt to drown her sorrows. I regularly found her sorry form in a heap over the toilet crying inconsolably at her pathetic life and I lost my temper several time; hitting her, kicking her, and even forcing her face into her own vomit to reiterate how shameful her behaviour was.

My father refused to admit my mother was out of control and spent every single hour at the office trying to hide from the problems at home. My mother rarely left her bedroom-she would watch old copies of her work and drink herself into oblivion all day ever day.

When I was fifteen, I began to notice the opposite sex. I attended an all boys school, and there were no girls in my life, so instead I made an advance on my nanny. I crept into her bedroom one night and when she rejected me, I beat her. My father managed to buy her silence, and she never went to the police, but after that, he said I was old enough to look after myself-which suited me just fine.

My mother repeatedly attempted suicide; feeble, weak attempts. Nothing more than a pathetic attempt to try and gain attention from anyone who was idiotic enough to give a shit. After one of these attempts she was admitted to a psychiatric facility and the doctor tried to explain to my father that there was a medical condition behind her behaviour which fuelled her addictions. I walked away before he could elaborate, there was no other reason for her behaviour other than my father's lack of control. _He_ had allowed the monster inside her to grow and he needed to accept responsibility for that.

I moved out of the family home as soon as I could; I was eighteen, I had a good education and my father used his connections to find me a job. I started off at the bottom of the ladder, but as I worked for a bank in the city, I knew I could progress. I threw myself into the job and quickly worked my way to one of the senior positions. I received a substantial pay rise, and upgraded my apartment to a penthouse on Mayfair. I hired the best designer to redesign the interior and dressed it in the most expensive accessories.

I had no contact with either of my parent's until shortly after my twenty-second birthday. My mother had finally succeeded and taken her own life after jumping in front of a train on the London Underground. Once again, it proved my assumptions about my father were correct, he simply had no control over his own wife. If she were mine, I would have forbade her to ever leave the house.

At the funeral I saw him play the role as the grieving widower well, and it infuriated me. He was weak, he chose to hide away in his office rather than deal with the problem, and he deserved to pay for that.

The coroner ruled my father's death a suicide just a few days later; an apparent overdose of powerful painkillers and his wife's anti-anxiety medication and . Of course he didn't realise that my father was bound to a chair and would have found it impossible to take the tablets of his own accord.

The look in his eye as I forced the pills into his mouth one at a time, I would never forget. He knew death was coming and was powerless to do anything about it. A proud man to the end, he never begged or pleaded with me to stop. Finally, it seemed, he had found the courage to act with some degree of decency.

I did the same as he had at my mother's funeral and acted like the heartbroken, devastated son, but inside I was ecstatic. I was finally free of the two people who constantly held me back. I inherited my father's share of the law practice which provided a regular and substantial income each month. I sold the family home, and used the money to pay off the mortgage on my apartment.

My life was perfect.

I would surround myself with the most attractive women and eat out at the most exclusive restaurants. My friends and I were regular visitors to London's most desirable clubs and I was the envy of many. I knew I was handsome; my perfectly maintained blond hair, and pale blue eyes were deemed attractive qualities and drew praise from many women...and men alike. My body was muscular and accentuated by only the best designer clothes, and I spent thousands of pounds on dental work perfecting my smile.

I knew some people thought I was shallow but I laughed off their criticism. They were simply jealous that I was able to live this kind of life without concern for money. I was living the dream.

For as long as I could remember I had been compulsively tidy and everything had to have its own place. My room was not that of a typical teenage boy, it was pristine and I kept all of my toys and games in their original packaging, untouched for the most part. I carried this behaviour into my twenties and my apartment was immaculate, I didn't tolerate untidiness or clutter and the same applied to the women in my life.

Anyone who I became involved with, whether it be a one night stand or something more, had to meet my exceptionally high standards. I would only allow the most attractive women on my arm and they had to be smartly dressed in designer clothes. Their hair and make-up had to be flawless and without a doubt their behaviour impeccable. Despite these, "quirks" I was never without female company and if anyone ever lowered their standards fractionally I would remind them of the consequence.

One girl I remembered well, she climbed into my bed one evening with her shoes on. Her _filthy_ shoes had trailed countless germs and diseases from the street and onto my bespoke gold weave Egyptian cotton sheets. Of course she had been forcibly punished, regretfully I became a little carried away with my fists and feet and she never regained consciousness.

Afterwards, with her blood on my hands, I sat watching her lifeless body for a few minutes. I was unsure what to do, but I did know that I would not be calling the poice. I wasn't going to spend my life rotting in prison for a whore like that.

I carefully disposed of her body piece by piece and cleaned my entire apartment meticulously, bleaching away every single fingerprint and trace that she had ever been there. A few days later I saw she had been reported missing by her family and I waited nervously for the police to pay me a visit.

Thankfully, I had only just met the girl and my name never came up in any interviews with her friends or family. Up until the day I left England for the last time, she was still just another missing girl, her family clueless to the fate that came of her.

Regrettably, this did happen on one or two other occasions, and I slowly realised that I was missing something...someone perhaps. I wasn't satisfied with the pretty girls anymore. I wanted perfection, because only perfection was good enough for me.

Then on _that _day in September, I found my perfection. I went out into London as was my usual Saturday night routine. There was only the usual kinds of women everywhere I looked. I'd been there, done that and I wasn't about to settle for second-best so I suggested we move onto another club, but then I saw..._her_.

This was the girl I had been waiting for. This _woman_ had flawless skin and she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life. She had not a single imperfection-her hair, eyes, nose, mouth, and body were out of this world and I could hear her voice washing over me; sending me into a tailspin.

I never lacked confidence and approached her immediately, the second our eyes locked, sparks flew and my life was changed forever. I found myself hanging on her every word and I could see she was doing the same. I tried to get her back to my penthouse, but she was pure and I decided to keep her that way for the time being. I promised to call her and take her out for dinner, already planning where and what we would eat. I made my way home in a daze, because I was in love for the first time in my life.

The first few weeks with Isabella were the most incredible weeks of my life; I was the proudest man in the world with her on my arm. I loved the attention she received from other men and revelled in the fact she was mine. I did soon find some flaws, her clothes were not designer labels and she didn't care for my compulsive ways but I overlooked them, instead I committed myself to gradually teach her my way of understanding. I took her only to the most desirable restaurants and night clubs to show her what life I could give to her. I also bought her expensive gifts and sent her amazing bouquets of flowers at every opportunity-she had to know just how special she was.

The first night we were together had enlightened me to a whole new level of passion. When our bodies were joined as one I felt like I was flying, every second had been amazing and I told her exactly how I felt. Immediately I sensed a change, a shift in her behaviour; she avoided my calls, and cancelled our plans. I gave her space to comprehend the path our relationship was taking but became enraged when I saw her in a bar talking to another man. We fought and she walked away. Devastated beyond words I had almost taken my own life but I was determined to win her back.

Of course she was unable to resist and we were soon back on track. I tried hard to be casual but each time we made love I lost a little more resolve and after a month I had to tell her exactly how I felt. I knew she was feeling overwhelmed, I felt it too so I persisted. Isabella just needed to know I wasn't leaving her side and I proved this to her by being everywhere she was, calling her to reassure her, and waiting for hours outside college.

I waited for her at work, too. One night a man brazenly flirted with _my _girl right in front of me and I lost control. I wanted to beat his sleazy, fucked up brains from his head but Isabella's step-father had thrown me from the pub and she told me we were over.

Once again, I knew this wasn't really how she felt. This was her family trying to form a rift between us and all she needed to know was that I wasn't going anywhere. I didn't relent and bombarded her with calls, texts, flowers and countless other gifts. I received no response and even confronted her, she continued to deny her true feelings and I continued to try to prove my love. I lost my job but I had more than enough money to support myself and I saw it as a release, I was finally able to spend every waking second with my Isabella.

Her family were insistent on keeping us separated, a restraining order was taken out against me, and she was never alone. Finally, after the most painful few months without her, I saw her parents leave for the evening; she was calling me, beckoning me in desperation. I sang our song to her but she wasn't allowed to come to me. I did everything I could for her that night but it wasn't enough. After my arrest I waited for her to come and save me, explain to the police ours was a love like no other, but she never did and I was crushed. Later, I discovered the reason, her mother was dead, and I was delighted. To me it was just one less hurdle for us to overcome.

After the death of her mother I thought she would need my arms around her to comfort her through the grief. But once more she was corrupted by those close to her and she disappeared. My first challenge was to find her, and after my release from prison I did just that. I tracked her down quickly, she was living in Seattle with her father. I followed her across the Atlantic just as she knew I would and found her, just as she knew I would. The second I did, the pain eased and I felt like I was given back my heart and soul.

I recognised the game she was playing, she was setting me challenges...tasks to prove my love to her. Another challenge she set on my Knight's Quest was the duel. I had seethed with jealousy as I saw another man touching her, kissing her, making love to her. She knew I watched her every move and she was asking me to save her from him. So I did.

This time no one was around to stop me and I beat him to within an inch of his life. Four years of waiting for her exerted into this insignificant man through my fists, knees and feet. Surely this was the proof she needed? Surely now she would see my ultimate devotion to her? I was wrong, there was another hurdle to overcome. _My_ Isabella was gone again and this time she was taken from me by her bitch of a friend, Alice. I searched and searched but for two years I heard nothing. I travelled across the USA, searching every major city and found nothing, no one. I was lost, but I would never give in, she was mine and mine alone. We would be together one way or another.

But now I was here, waiting for her, desperate to see her and I would wait as long as I needed to. The second I saw the photos I had come looking for him...Edward fucking Cullen. How dare she parade herself with someone like him? The magazines didn't know who she was but I knew he would lead me to her; I find him, I find her it was that simple.

The street outside his apartment was busy, Fifth Avenue always was. I was passed by person after person but no one gave me a second glance, they didn't even see me. I had become so adept at blending into the background that I was unnoticeable in the shadows.

I had been here to New York looking for her before, it was the first place I looked, Her favourite film was Breakfast at Tiffany's and it pained me to know I had been so close to her all those years ago. No more, now I knew where she was, now I knew who she was with and this time I would make her mine-she would not push me away again.

As I was waiting for her I saw a magazine in the trash can. Her face was on the front and I picked it up to read the article. They had finally found out who she was and where she was.

_Edward Cullen's New Girl!_

_Sorry, Ladies, but Zeus guitarist Edward Cullen is officially off the market. Sources tell us that his new girlfriend is a British born nanny called Isabella Swan. The pair met in a bar in New York's Upper East Side where Bella lives with her room-mates about six months ago. Judging by these photos taken at his sisters birthday party last week Edward is clearly taken with this girl – what do we think here at Scoop Magazine? We think she's super cali fragilistic expealidocious!_

_Unfortunately, that only leaves two of the group still single. Edward's brother Emmett has recently rekindled his romance with model Rosalie Hale. The pair were dating for almost three years but split back in January following Emmett's refusal to have children with the much older Rosalie._

_So if you want a piece of Zeus then you need to get in line, there's only Seth and Garrett left but who are we kidding we'd have a piece of either wouldn't we ladies?_

The information was useful; I discovered she lived on the Upper-East Side which narrowed down my search area if I needed to locate her apartment alone. Still, I knew the impact my Isabella had on men and if I stuck with Edward Cullen he would show me the way to her. No one can keep away from this woman, and I knew that better than most.

I lost track of the hours I stood there...watching...waiting...when suddenly the suffocating darkness dissipated and was replaced with a brilliant white light radiating from within my heart. I could see her. She was as beautiful as I remembered and I felt the warmth of her run through me like a torrent of water.

I scrutinized every inch of her face and body; I had been without it for so long I couldn't bear to look away. Her beautiful dark hair had grown longer, just slightly but to me it was noticeable. Her delicate face and mesmerizing eyes, her neck and shoulders, her slender arms and graceful hands were all as I remembered.

She was not alone but nor was she with _him_. A girl accompanied her and she had her arm linked tightly in Isabella's. I could see my beloved girl was scared and I wanted to call out to her, tell her I was home but I couldn't. She was trying to tell me something and I would need to observe for a little longer to discover what it was. I could wait, I had been waiting for her to come back to me for seven long years and another few weeks were bearable now I could see her, watch her and hear her voice. I could do anything I wanted to do now she was a part of my life again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN So yeah, James is a sick bastard! Would love to know what you thought about this...back to the regular POV's next chapter!**

**I was falling asleep editing this, so please forgive any errors! **

**Thanks for reading, reviewing, and alerting...I'm ecstatic with the reception this fic has received!**

**See you tomorrow,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N - Thanks to Prettyflour for tolerating my silly mistakes! I own nothing.**

**Chapter 20 - Too Scared To Stay, Too Terrified To Leave.**

**BPOV**

How could life be so cruel? What was the point in letting me find Edward? Why let me make a home for myself in a place that I loved, to then rip it from me?

I heard Edward speak, I heard him tell me that my name had been revealed to the press and then I closed down. I felt my blood run as cold as ice through my body, but surprisingly I didn't feel the onset of a panic attack. I always knew that I couldn't hide from him forever, this had to happen eventually and now, just like that...it had.

I had been selfish to try and cling on to my life in New York. The very moment the first pictures were printed I should have accepted that I was done. How could I have been so stupid? It boiled down to pure, undiluted, desperation to hold onto those people who gave me the chance to finally be me again; Alice, Angela, and of course, Edward.

Even if I had the courage to stay and face James. Even if I refused to let him beat me again, I was exposing all of the people in my life to something they simply didn't deserve, and I knew what I had to do. As long as I was here in New York, James would use them to get to me. The things he could do...the things he'd done in the past...I couldn't bear to think about any of that happening to Edward.

However, if I left, if I wasn't here then James would have no need to hurt them. I had to be selfless and ignore the heart-wrenching pain that I felt when I even considered not seeing Edward every day, but I had to know that he would be okay. Unfortunately with me around the chance of James doing something to hurt him was too great and I loved him far too much to ever let that happen.

I lay awake all night with Edward's arms wrapped tightly around me, crying silent tears which left my pillow soaked and my eyes puffy. I didn't sleep, not for a minute, and I rolled over discreetly to face Edward. I focused on his face, which, even in slumber was tense.

I ran a hand down his cheek barely brushing against his skin. This man was perfect and he was mine. How could I leave him? I was at war with myself all night, trying to decide what was best for _him_.

_What if you run and James never saw the articles or never found out where you were? What if you walk away and it's all for nothing?_

I could stay...for now. I could wait it out and if by some miracle James never came back into my life then I could stay. _But _if he found me then I would have no other choice. I had to walk away...for good.

Still awake twenty minutes before my alarm was due to sound, I admitted defeat and got up. I made a promise to Edward that I wouldn't go anywhere alone, but I ignored his request and left him sleeping to go for a run in the park. I needed the space; I was fed up of being the mushroom hiding away in the dark room and I needed to breathe.

It was late November and the mornings and evenings were dark. I ran as fast as my legs would allow, suddenly conscious that being alone in this place wasn't the smartest idea I'd had. I finished my lap as quickly as I could and made a start for Central Park West. As soon as I emerged onto the street from the park I saw a group of people congregating where the Ross' house was. I tried to focus on the group; each footstep I took brought their faces closer and their actions a little clearer. I could see that people who were walking past had to barge through the middle of them or step-around them into the street. When I was just a few metres away the ball dropped and I realised who they were.

They were outside the Ross' house, waiting for me.

_Paparazzi._

As soon as they spotted me I was converged upon and about nine different men started thrusting cameras in my face, asking me questions about Edward. The flashes blinded me, and I was jostled around roughly as I pushed my way through them as forcefully as I could. I didn't say a word and ran up the steps to the front door of the house. As soon as I reached out for the handle, the door swung open and Mr. Ross ushered me inside.

"Bella, what the hell is going on out there?" He looked angry beyond words and I saw Mrs. Ross glowering behind him; her expression matched her husband's. "Did you see the television last night? There was a picture of _my _son with you at his birthday party last year. How did they get that? Did you give them that picture?"

I didn't know which question to answer first and just about managed to choke out a few words in my defence. "No, Mr. Ross, of course I didn't. I have no idea how they got that photo. I have no idea how they knew who I was."

"I want to know what the full story is here, Bella. You need to explain yourself right now." Carole Ross stepped forward, her arms were crossed across her chest and her brow was furrowed so deeply that she was actually frightening me a little.

"I…I'm sorry if I've...I mean I never meant for any of this to happen. Edward and I were always supposed to stay a secret. I honestly have no clue who gave them the photo of Ben. You know I would never do something like that." I felt my eyes fill with more tears, but I tried to remain professional and fought them back down.

"Sorry doesn't quite cut it, Bella. Did you not see the commotion outside? You are our nanny, and you are responsible for our children while we are at work. How can we trust them in your care when there's going to be a parade of aggressive photographers following your every move?" Carole moved back and shook her head in disgust. "This is completely unacceptable. What are we supposed to do now?"

I had no answer, what could I say to that?.

We stood there, listening to the crowd of paparazzi receive abuse from disgruntled passers-by. They were not moving any time soon and both Mr. and Mrs. Ross knew that.

"I think it's best if you leave, Bella. There's absolutely no chance you can look after Ben today, and I don't want this scene at Mia's school either. I'll make sure your cheque covers the full day, but we will find alternative arrangements as of Monday. I'm sorry."

"Are you firing me?" I whispered, and Mr. Ross nodded.

"You've left us with little alternative."

I reeled at Mr. Ross' words. I was getting fired because of this.

"No! Mom, Dad, please don't fire Bella. It was my fault, I told the reporter who she was; they said they needed proof and I sent them the photo too. I'm so sorry, Bella, I never knew this would happen, I just couldn't believe that someone I knew so well was Edward Cullen's girlfriend. I saw the photos from Caitlyn Cullen's party and I recognised you straight away." Mia was standing at the foot of the stairs, tears running down her face. I wasn't even angry with her, I was angry with myself for letting things get so far out of hand.

"It's okay, Mia, don't get upset." I smiled in reassurance, hoping that her words may just change her parent's mind. "You weren't to know the trouble it would cause."

Mr. Ross sighed and turned to face his daughter. "Mia, we will be speaking about this tonight. Bella, I'm really sorry, but who informed the press changes nothing, you simply cannot continue to work for us after this incident. It is a blatant breach of contract—there was a clearly marked section which detailed the unacceptable behaviour clause. If you need me to pull out a copy I have one upstairs."

"No that's not necessary, Mr. Ross." I shook my head. I remembered the section well, it had given Alice and I a good laugh when we'd read it.

**"We reserve the right to terminate your employment at any time, should we deem your behaviour to be unacceptable for such a person in the position of caregiver to our children. The clause stipulates that any actions which may jeopardise, or threaten the welfare of aforementioned children will result in instant dismissal with no severance package."**

We had laughed because, come on, how could _Isabella Swan_ ever act inappropriately?

"Bella, I'm very sorry that it has come to this. I know my children adored you, we all did, but the lifestyle you will enjoy with that man is just not appropriate in this line of work. I am extremely disappointed with you, Bella. If you excuse me for a minute, I'll go and get your cheque before you leave." Carole turned on her heels and walked away.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ross, I know you think bad of me for this, but really, Edward is nothing like Carole thinks; he's a really good guy. I've known him for nearly six months now and not once has he affected my ability to work with your children." I tried to fight my corner, but he just shook his head.

"Well, Bella, the scene outside my house certainly does affect your ability to care for my children," he said. Mia was crying loudly now and he turned to console her.

Mrs. Ross strode over and held out a cheque, her face was hard and she nodded towards the door. "Maybe once they see you leave, they will follow you and leave us alone. Please don't come back, Bella, it will only confuse Ben if he sees you again." When I didn't move she stepped around me and held open the door. "Goodbye."

I mumbled a faint, "Goodbye," to Mia and braced myself to face the photographers again. I had barely stepped through the door when I felt it slam shut behind me. I dropped my head and ran as fast as I could away from the house and down Central Park West, away from the pursuing photographers. I escaped into the park and found an empty bench set back from the path I was following. I sat in numb disbelief for over an hour; my life was being turned completely upside down by James and he wasn't even here yet.

I was cold, there was a slight mist of rain in the air and I felt the dampness cling to my hair and skin. My phone rang and rang but I ignored it, I couldn't talk to anyone, not yet. I couldn't believe what had just happened, so there was no way I could begin to explain it to anyone else.

But, whoever was calling me didn't relent, and begrudgingly I checked my phone. I noticed there were twelve missed calls and seven messages.

**Bella, why didn't you wake me? You promised me – nowhere alone. Call me. Love you - E x**

**I'm a little worried now Bella, I've tried calling and calling. Please let me know you're okay E x**

_Bella, Edward is flipping out. Ring me or him ASAP Alice x_

**Bella, seriously now, where the hell are you? E x**

_Bella, IF WE DON'T HEAR FROM YOU IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES I'M COMING TO THE ROSS'. RING ME NOW. Alice x_

The message had been sent about five minutes ago. I texted her back quickly, I didn't want her going to the Ross' and finding out what had just happened. I needed more time to deal with it first.

**Alice, I'm fine, sorry I had my phone on silent. I went to work. I'm completely fine I promise. B x**

As soon as I sent the message I reluctantly rang Edward. I was hoping he wouldn't answer, but of course he did.

"Bella? Thank God. What the hell were you thinking? Alice was just about to go to the Ross'. I was scared to death, we all were." I'd never heard Edward angry like this.

"I'm sorry, Edward, you looked so peaceful when you were asleep – I didn't want to wake you," I said apologetically.

"Don't do that again, please, Bella. Jesus, I thought something might have happened." He sighed heavily down the phone. "I'm sorry for being sharp, Bella. I was just worried. Is everything okay?"

I lied brilliantly, insisting he stop worrying and that I would see him later. He asked if he could meet me from work but I refused. I told him that I was taking Mia over to her friends after I finished, and to meet me at Arts. He didn't like the idea but I was adamant and he didn't argue for too long.

I heard the familiar beep of call waiting, I knew exactly who it was and groaned, "I'd better go. This is Alice calling to discipline me no doubt. I'll see you later."

I hung up and held the phone away from my ear slightly as Alice started yelling at me down the phone.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Bella! What is wrong with you? Edward was literally out of his mind with worry, we both were." I let her rant for a few minutes, growing increasingly annoyed; I was being chastised like a naughty school-girl who had missed curfew.

I responded angrily, "Jesus, Alice, I'm sick and tired of this shit. I'm twenty-five years old and I don't have to account for my every fucking move. I need a break from this crap."

"Well I'm sorry we're such a pain in your ass, Bella." Alice hung up abruptly and I swore loudly to myself.

I wasn't going to have to worry about leaving anyone behind at this rate, if I kept up this behaviour I would drive everyone away before the week was out.

For the rest of the day I wandered aimlessly around the park. I walked over to the sailing pond and looked up to Edward's building. I couldn't quite make out his apartment but I knew he was in there, waiting, and worrying about me. After that I spent a few hours in Shakespeare Gardens; even in the barren winter it was so tranquil and pretty-I really did love this place...I was going to miss this place.

It was dark when I left the park, and my clothes were wet and cold so I decided to make a quick stop at my apartment to change. Angela was working a late shift and Alice would no doubt be waiting for me at Art's, she was probably complaining to Edward about my lack of coöperation with the babysitting arrangement.

I had a quick shower and tidied up my hair before dressing in my work clothes. I pulled on my thin denim jacket, cursing the fact my winter coat was at Edward's apartment along with most of my other clothes. As I stepped out into the hall I was suddenly slammed back against my door forcefully. I tried to move forward but the forearm of someone pressed against my throat and my legs almost collapsed when I saw who it was.

_James. It's over...now you have to leave._

I looked into his eyes and I was taken back to the first time I realised this man was going to ruin my life. The ice-cold blue was piercing and sent a shiver of fear running down my spine. But while his eyes were clearly blue, there was also a blackness to them...an intense and fierce darkness that terrified me. His fair hair was in exactly the same style it always had been. Short around the sides, but longer on top with rogue strands falling into his eyes. In the two years since I'd last seen him, his face had aged considerably, he was thirty now but looked more like forty. It was also impossible to miss that his physique was even more muscular and I could feel just how strong he was. His forearm was pressing down hard against my windpipe—not enough to impede my breathing, but just enough to serve as a warning of his capabilities,should I scream or attempt to escape.

His face broke into a wide smile and he leaned close to kiss my cheek. "Ah, Isabella, how I've missed you, you have no idea how unbearable our time apart was for me."

I closed my eyes, his touch made my skin crawl and my stomach lurch. I never said a word, I was praying for Jasper or even Mike to emerge from the apartment across the hall to help me.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Isabella, you belong to me...me. How dare you give yourself away like that...to someone as despicable as Edward Cullen. Surely you have to know he's simply using you. He can see your beauty and he wanted a piece of that...nothing more. I know that as soon as another pretty girl comes along you'll find yourself yesterday's news, a cast off who had served her purpose. Luckily for you I'm here to save you now. I've missed you, Isabella, I've missed you so much." He kissed my other cheek this time, letting his nose drag across my bottom lip as he moved his face from one side to the other.

I tensed at his touch and he sighed angrily. "I can feel you resisting me, but I came ready for your reaction, Isabella. You know what I can do...you know what I am prepared to do to make sure you stay with me. Before you resist, before you tell me to go, know that I've been paying attention. I know where Edward Cullen lives, eats, sleeps, and drinks. I know that his family have a home in East Hampton and Los Angeles. I know his sister, Caitlyn, goes to a school just a few minutes from their house and has a bedroom which overlooks the beach. I'm warning you, Isabella, you stay away from Edward Cullen or I _will_ hurt him, I _will_ hurt his family. This time I won't make the mistake I did with that moron in Seattle. When I get to Edward Cullen, Isabella, this time, I guarantee, he won't wake up. I want him out of your life completely."

My breathing was getting more and more shallow and rapid, and my body was trembling with fear. He knew this and he loved it, he thrived on it. It was all about power...the power he had on me, on my life, on every decision I made. I looked around the hallway, praying someone was watching, and someone had called the police.

James noticed of course, and he laughed darkly. "There's no one here, Isabella. Alice is out with her new boyfriend and your other friend, Angela, well we both know she's still at work." He rested his head on mine, and pressed his body against me. "God, how I need to feel your body," he moaned.

I felt tears spill over and run down my cheeks. James stepped back and said, "Please don't underestimate me, Isabella, if that man is not out of your life soon, I will kill him, do you understand me?"

I couldn't do anything but nod, As he spoke, the pressure from his arm grew steadily worse and I was now struggling to breath. I felt light-headed and nauseous, and my throat was aching fiercely from the force being exerted on it. James seemed to notice my reaction and moved his arm away from my throat and replaced it with one of his hands. His fingers squeezed tightly and with his other hand he cupped my chin and placed a lingering kiss on my lips. I froze, not reacting to it at all, it made me sick to my stomach but I needed him to do what he came to do and leave.

"Monday, Isabella, I will give you until Monday, and then I will be back. You know I'll always find you, and I'll always stay with you." He moved away and swiftly exited the building. As soon as he was out of sight I sank to the floor and for the second time that week I experienced a panic attack.

Without Angela's calming presence I found it impossible to calm down and regulate my breathing. It took what seemed like an eternity to compose myself. I washed my face, not wanting anyone to notice I'd been crying, I checked my face in the mirror and that's when I saw my neck. Already, faint, red, finger-shaped bruises were beginning to form. I rifled through Alice's closet and tied a dress-scarf around my neck, trying desperately to disguise the darkening marks.

It was after seven when I left the apartment, making me late already. I constantly looked over my shoulder as I walked, expecting to see him a few steps behind as he used to do in the past. Although, he was nowhere in sight, I knew he was there somewhere.

I began to formulate a plan in my head. I would leave by train on Sunday night at the very latest, and I would leave alone. I had no idea which train to take or which place to choose, but I had to go. Edward was too important to me and I wouldn't let James harm a hair on his head.

As the lights from Art's came into view, I put on my calmest face and walked quickly through the door. Alice looked like she was about to tear across the bar and rip open my throat. Edward looked livid and even Art was looking at me like I had given all of his takings away to the AA.

"Bella, where have you been?" Alice glared.

I held up my hand and snapped back at her in an icy tone. "Enough, Alice, I'm not a fucking child in need of a chaperone, and I'm certainly not in the mood to argue with you, so please drop it." I moved towards Edward, who was giving me a strange look. "Hey you, I'm sorry I was late, I needed to go and change."

Edward said nothing, he just nodded and smiled. I was just about to walk behind the bar when Art stopped me.

"What are you doing here, Bella? You need to be at home." His eyes were full of concern and understanding. I was confused for a split-second and then it hit home. Art knew about James.

"You know?" I shouted and spun around, exploding at Edward, rage searing through my body like flames. "You fucking told Art. It was none of your business, Edward, you should have kept your mouth shut. How dare you?"

Edward said nothing. He just gave me another of his strange looks and dropped his head. In my eyes I saw it as an admission of guilt, but clearly it had been something else because Alice was at my side in an instant.

"No it wasn't Edward, Bella. It was me, I told Art ages ago. I thought he should know in case there was ever any trouble with James coming back. Come on, Bella, you know you can trust Edward."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Well I hope you all had a nice discussion about my fucked up past. What's next? The new babysitting roster? Maybe I should wear a tracking device so you can know where I am every second of the god damn day." I stormed behind the bar and turned my back on the three of them.

I remained in a foul mood for the rest of the night, as the hours ticked over I spoke to no one unless I had to, I didn't meet Edward's eye once, yet I could feel his eyes on me all the time. I was a coward through and through, instead of letting him know what I was thinking I was shutting him out. I was pushing him away without saying a word and I despised myself for it. I was glad for the busy crowds in the bar, it gave me the opportunity to sulk alone and uninterrupted. I knew I was being horrible, but I was too consumed with fear to care.

An hour or so before closing, Angela, Seth, Garrett, Emmett and Rosalie drifted into the bar. I recognised the look on their faces, they were in on this too and I barely acknowledged their presence either.

The last remaining guest finally left at around one thirty and I started cleaning up. I walked to the tables and had just set one chair on top of a table when Edward grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Bella, please, stop this silent treatment. I'm going crazy over there. What have I done? I don't understand why you're being so cold with me...with everyone."

I didn't respond at first, I lost myself in his eyes, the pain of losing him almost made me cry out. I felt guilty beyond words for what I was doing to him yet I had no other choice.

"You haven't done a thing, Edward. This is all on me." I moved slightly with my right hand, almost reaching out to stroke his face but I stopped myself and snapped it back to my side. I had no right to touch him like that. He was worth so much more than what I was putting him through. "I'm so sorry I'm being a bitch, I just have a million and one things going around in my head."

That was an outright lie, because there was only room for one thing in my mind, James was consuming me already. I tried to keep my voice harsh and cold, but just looking at him made my resolve crumble and my eyes filled with yet more tears.

"That's what I'm here for, that's what we're all here for, Bella. You don't need to worry about a thing." He bent forward to kiss me but I snapped my head back in anger.

"I don't need to worry? Are you taking the piss, Edward? Did you not remember the story I told you that day in the diner? How can you tell me there's no need to worry? Jesus, just thinking about what's about to start makes me sick. The letters, the phone calls, the flowers, and the messages will come first; then when I try to ignore him and carry on with my life, he'll get nasty. He'll follow me; follow you, Alice, and Angela. He'll trash my apartment, Art's, yours too if he can get to it. Maybe if none of that works, he'll kill my one remaining parent, or perhaps he'll beat you to within an inch of your life. You have no idea what that's like so don't tell me not to worry, Edward. Worry doesn't even come close to describing how I feel. Scared out of my fucking mind is more like it—so scared in fact, that I can't think straight." I pushed him away and turned around.

"Then let me help you. Shit, Bella, you can't deal with this on your own." He tried to grab my hand but I moved away from him again.

"Edward, get her home. Bella, listen to me, take a break from here yeah? Whenever you get this sorted or feel ready to come back just let me know." Art had appeared behind Edward and was looking at me like I was about to have a psychotic episode right there in the bar.

I realised this was the moment. I was leaving now.

"Not necessary, Art. I'm sorry to leave you in the lurch but I quit." I walked quickly around the bar and grabbed my jacket and keys.

Art followed me to the bar and held his hands up in protest. "No, Bella, come on, don't just quit. You're tired and stressed out to hell. You and Edward take a few weeks and get out of the city. Take as much time as you need. I'm sure if you talk to the Ross' and explain what's going on they'll let you take a break there too."

"That's not necessary either, Art, as of today I no longer work for the Ross'." I made for the door but Edward snatched my arm roughly and stopped me.

"What? Did you quit?" His eyed were searching for answers to a thousand questions which were racing through his head.

"No I didn't _quit_. I was fired, Edward. There were paparazzi camped outside their fucking house trying to get pictures of me. They told me that by involving myself with you, I had breached a clause in my contract. I was asked to leave their house not five minutes after I stepped through the fucking door," I was angry. Angry with everyone, Edward, Mia, James, but most of all I was furious with myself.

"Shit, Bella, I'm so fucking sorry, why didn't you tell me? I don't know what to say." He hung his head and sighed sadly.

"So if you got fired first thing this morning, where the hell have you been all day, Bella?" Alice spoke for the first time. "You didn't come back to the apartment, so where were you?"

"I needed time to think in peace, so I hung out in the park. I needed to be away from all of this and be on my own."

Alice shook her head. "What if he's in New York, Bella? He could have got to you. Jesus you're so fucking stupid sometimes. I swear to god you just don't get how much danger you could be in." Alice spat the words at me and I lost a little bit more composure.

"Oh, I know how stupid I am, Alice, you really don't need to remind me of that. Thanks for being so understanding."

"Bella, I'm sorry...I don't mean to get angry with you...it's just...I know how you feel and I want you to know I'm here for you," she said, her voice softer.

I laughed darkly. "You have no idea how I feel, Alice. You don't spend every minute of your life wondering when he's coming back for you, it wasn't your boyfriend that was almost beat to death in Seattle, and your fucking mother isn't lying six feet under the ground in a coffin because of someone _you_ met. I live with that fucking guilt every day of my life, Alice, you have no idea what it's like." I went to grab the handle again but Edward's hand was on mine, his eyes wide and sad at the same time. I recognised the expression. Pity. It was all I ever saw from anyone who knew the full story.

"Bella, why are you pushing me away? I love you, please stop it."

"It's too late, Edward." Alice was staring sadly at me, she knew exactly where this was going and she was about to call me on it. "She's pushing you away because she's leaving. Aren't you, Bella?"

I couldn't answer she was right on the money and I just dropped my gaze to my feet.

"No, Bella. Tell me that's not what this is all about?" Edward forced my face up and shook his head when he read the admission in my eyes. "When were you planning on telling me? Jesus fucking Christ, won't it be hard enough for us to keep you safe here in the city. How can you expect to hide from him when I'm making regular visits to shitty little towns in god knows which state?"

I closed my eyes, shut out his gaze and could almost hear the realisation hit home. "Oh, I see. I'm not part of the plan, right? So you're just going to run? Were you even going to bother with a goodbye?" His voice was cracking, I could hear the hurt and anger in every word and it was killing me. But I had to do this, I had to walk away. It was best for him. For everyone.

"Edward, this is for the best it really is." It felt like I was literally ripping my heart from my chest with my bare hands. But surprisingly, my voice conveyed no emotion whatsoever. It was calm, detached, and hopefully convincing.

"That's bullshit, Bella. For the best? What's for the best exactly? The fact that you're leaving or that I'm not going to see you again? What about you and me, huh? Are you really going to walk away from that?" Edward dropped my hand and stepped back, clenching his fists tightly.

"You and me? Yeah it was great, Edward, but come on we never had a future did we? Other than this, I mean, it was just fun. Did you ever see us getting married? Yeah I can see it now, the nanny and the rock star living happily ever after. It would never have happened—you know it and I know it."

I didn't know it, not really. I'd even allowed myself to daydream just for a few minutes about sitting with Edward in Central Park ten...fifteen years from now, twirling a wedding band around my finger. Happy and safe.

Edward's face fell again, the brief flicker of sadness was quickly gone and his face became contorted with rage. "So tell me, Bella, if I saw no future with you, why did I stay with you for all these months? Why did I drive my family to Thames fucking Ditton just to see where you lived? Why did I miss you like crazy while I was away? Why the fuck did I tell you that I loved you? What was the point?"

I was snapping into pieces, the lies, fear and disbelief at what I was actually doing was too much for me and I was losing the battle to remain composed.

Edward wasn't done, he continued his tirade and I just stood there and let him get it out of his system, "I can't believe you, Bella. Even when you told me about James, I didn't see this coming. I knew it would be tough, but I honestly never thought you'd try to leave people behind who loved you? What about Alice and Angela?" He was shouting at me, his face only inches away from mine but I didn't feel scared or threatened, just broken.

Art tried to be mediator and stepped between us. He placed one of his hands on Edward's chest and pushed him back slightly. "Come on guys, let's all calm down and talk about this. We can sort this out, Bella, can't we?"

"Please, Bella. I would come with you, you know I would," Alice begged. "Don't do this."

I closed my eyes and the tears ran down my cheeks, I wasn't asking Alice to come. Not this time. She had left her family behind once before, and now she had Jasper there was no way I was going to ruin that for her. This was my problem and mine alone, no one else could run with me anymore. Alice, Angela, and Edward needed to live their own lives, with me as far away as possible.

"No, Alice, not this time. I won't let him ruin your life too. You're the best friend anyone could ever have and I'm asking you to let me do this." She shook her head defiantly, so I added, "Besides, I don't need any connections to the past. It just makes it easier for him to find me. I'm better off alone." I choked the words out and tried to wipe my face, but the tears were just an endless stream and ran continually down my face.

Alice shook her head angrily. "If that's what you really think then do it. Go, just run away, and don't look back. I'll stay at Jasper's until you're gone, because I can't even look at you...I don't recognise you." She walked back over to the bar and sat down.

I saw Angela, Rosalie, Emmett, Seth, and Garrett all stood watching the scene play out. They were clearly uncomfortable with the situation but as Edward and I were right by the door there was nowhere for them to go.

"Bella, please don't go," Angela whispered, she was crying too and that made me feel even worse.

"I'm sorry, Angela, I have to...it's better for everyone." I looked at Edward and as soon as I caught his eye I hesitated.

"Please, Bella, stay. I can help you," he pleaded with me and I almost caved.

I took a deep breath before I spoke. What I was about to say would be the cruellest thing I could imagine, and I needed all the strength I had just to get the words out.

"Help me, Edward?" I hissed. "It's because of _you_ that he found me again. I was doing great until I met you and now I've lost everything."

I saw the pain flitter across his face, but then he laughed darkly just once. "Doing great? I hardly think spending all your time working and jogging around the park constitutes 'great', Bella. That was no life and you know it. If you run again, then you'll be running for the rest of your life. You might not realise it now, but one day you'll look back and realise there were people in your life that you should never have left behind. But it'll be too late then, Bella, because you'll never get that time back." He stepped back and glanced at the door, daring me to walk away.

I let my eyes sweep over his body, and linger on his lips, nose, and then his eyes; taking in every last detail before I walked away for good.

I didn't reply, I didn't say goodbye to anyone, I just opened the door and walked out into the street. I didn't care that James was in the city, maybe he was waiting for me again. So what? I ambled home and as soon as I reached the door to the apartment I cried and cried and cried.

Edward was wrong, I wouldn't look back at this moment in years to come and regret it. I _already_ regretted it. I knew that life without Edward was my punishment for whatever I had done to torture James into ruling my life and controlling my every move. With the exception of the last six months, he ruled all of me for past the seven years and he would continue to do it for the rest of my life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Um...yeah so I'll be hiding if you want me ;)**

**More tomorrow...I promise, but feel free to hurl abuse at me until then!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Bye for now,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	21. Chapter 21

**For Kitty ;) and because I know it was a completely horrible place to leave the last chapter...although I doubt this is much better :0**

**Chapter 21 - Shattered and Broken.**

**EPOV**

There were no words which could surmise how I felt the second Bella walked through the door and out of my life.

How could she ever see us as future-less and nothing more than a few months of fun?

I knew she was scared and trying desperately to push me, and those closest to her away, but deep down I hoped that _I _was the reason she'd finally decide to stop running and fight back. I'd noticed a difference in her, we'd all noticed a difference, and the way she flinched at my touch...avoided my affection, it broke my heart and now I knew why.

I could understand her fear. Seven long years she had feared him, and during those years she had been through things I couldn't even begin to comprehend. But still, she had to know I would and could protect her. I was nothing like the guy in Seattle...I wasn't going anywhere. She was my life.

While she'd worked her shift at Art's I'd been thinking about something Alice had said. James had a criminal record and would certainly be here illegally. That fact might hinder the police in arresting him for the things he'd done to Bella...but it made my plan that much easier to keep hidden.

Art knew people...the type of people who could take care of James should we find him. Take care of him once and for all, to finally give Bella the relief she needed.

But it was irrelevant, Bella was gone, never coming back and I couldn't help her now.

I remained standing by the door, frozen to the spot. I felt someone approach me cautiously, but I didn't...couldn't move.

"Edward. Come and sit down, buddy, get your head together and have a drink. Just give her a bit of time. She's got too much to deal with right now, she'll come around, I'm sure she will." Art put his hand on my shoulder and tried to walk me over to the bar. "She loves you, man, you know she does."

I shook out of his hold and snatched open the door. "No, I just need to get home, Art. Bella's not 'coming around.' She's more scared of him than she loves me or anyone else for that matter."

"Art's right, Edward." Emmett stepped forward. "You two have been so wrapped up in each other since we got back, this has just come out of the blue. She needs a bit of room to breathe, you two were so good together and there's no way she'd walk away from that."

I laughed once, bitterly."She already has, Emmett."

I walked through the door and headed home. All the way, I was replaying the last six months with Bella. I thought about the night we met, the first night we spent together and the following morning. I thought about how it felt to leave her when we went on tour and then how it felt when I finally arrived home. Every minute I'd spent with her had been incredible - Bella was incredible. She grounded me in a way I never thought possible. When she told me she loved me, I knew it was _me_ that she loved, not my job, the money or the fame and that made her even more special. Everyone loved her, my sister adored her and I _had_ pictured us old and creaky-boned and still in love. She was wrong, I would have married her, I would have spent the rest of my life with her.

Correction, I would have married the Bella I met in Arts in June, the Bella who I'd spent three months pining for, and the Bella who I woke up next to most mornings. The Bella who had just walked away from me tonight wasn't anyone I knew. Alice was right our Bella was long gone and never coming back.

I walked into the apartment and sighed, I needed her here and even though I knew exactly where she was I couldn't go and get her. For one brief moment I felt hope, I saw the light flashing on my answer machine. Had she called?

I pressed play and listened, praying it was her.

_"Edward, its Mom. Emmett has just called and told me what's happened with you and Bella. I'm so sorry sweetheart, we're flying out to the house right now, Emmett's going to swing by and pick you up. Meet us there okay? I'll call you the minute we land."_

I deleted the message and collapsed onto the bed. I felt the lump in my throat start to form but I fought it back down. I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow but immediately I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach. I could smell her, her shampoo, her perfume, just her. She'd been out of my life for an hour and I simply couldn't imagine never seeing her again. I needed to leave, I needed to get away from this place, it was full of painful reminders that I couldn't deal with, so I stood quickly and pulled out my phone.

Emmett answered on the first ring, "We're parked outside, get your ass in the car, we'll take you to Mom and Dad's."

I hung up and went straight downstairs. Emmett's car, was idling outside the building and as soon as I climbed into the back he moved away. Rosalie was riding in the front with him and I saw her glance quickly at me. Emmett too, was watching in the rear-view mirror.

"I don't want to talk about it guys," I snapped and closed my eyes, trying to force the pictures of Bella out of my mind before they drove me crazy.

Emmett nodded and turned his attention back to the road. I pretended to sleep for the rest of the drive, but I never came close to drifting off. I was falling to pieces, thinking about Bella was all I could do. For almost three hours I couldn't expel her from my head. I thought that going to the Hampton's would be better than stewing at home alone, but the minute I walked into the dark house I realised I had made a mistake. I hadn't been here since the weekend I left to go on tour; I spent two wonderful days and nights with Bella here and those memories were just as painful as the rest. I sat on the stairs and put my face in my hands, Emmett and Rosalie hovered for a minute before moving into the kitchen.

As soon as they were out of sight I walked upstairs and into Caitlyn's room. I couldn't face my room, not yet, Bella had slept there too and I needed an escape from her just for a little while. I curled up on my sisters bed and closed my eyes again. Fighting back the tears was becoming harder and harder, my throat was aching and my head was pounding. I was still holding it all in when I fell asleep.

**BPOV**

I collapsed onto the couch after a few minutes of crying on the cold, hard floor. I was still there when Angela entered the apartment at around three. She was alone and I pretended to be asleep, I felt her hovering near me before sighing and walking into her room. I was too consumed by guilt, shame, and hurt to sleep. I had no one to blame but myself, I was pushing away the most important people in my life and these emotions consumed me so much that I couldn't feel afraid of _him_ anymore. It didn't matter that I was trying to help them, I was still hurting them...hurting me. I couldn't bear to think about Edward. I never thought I would find someone like him...never in a million years, yet now I was turning my back on him. I waited until Angela was fast asleep and I crept into my room to change. I pulled on my running clothes and then left the apartment. I ran and ran around the reservoir, one lap or a hundred? I had no idea. I continued to run until I had absolutely nothing left and my legs gave in. I sat down on the edge of the path, pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs tightly.

I stared at the Manhattan skyline across the reservoir-as I did with Edward's face last night, I tried to capture every detail in my mind. The park, my apartment, Edward's apartment, and Art's were places full of my happiest memories. I could have stayed here for the rest of my life and been happy and alive.

Those memories were irrelevant now though, because I couldn't stay, that decision was already out of my hands. I had no idea where to go but that didn't matter. Wherever I went was unimportant because the only people that mattered would be here and better off without me.

I started to plan the next few days in my head. I had to pack what I could into an overnight bag; I wasn't taking all of my things, I needed to travel light. I would go to Grand Central Station on Sunday and choose the first departing train or coach and just go. There was the matter of my father, I should call and tell him the score, but I couldn't, because I knew exactly what he would say. I loved my father, but there were a few things still hanging in the air after I'd left Seattle. I wasn't ready to deal with that and I certainly wasn't ready for the lecture he would no doubt give on getting involved with Edward in the first place.

No, I would call him once I'd decided where to go.

I stood unsteadily and slowly walked back to the apartment, my legs were heavy with exhaustion and I was emotionally and physically spent. It was almost nine when I got back home. Angela was still asleep and Alice was nowhere in sight. She told me she would stay away until I left, so I presumed she was at Jasper's. I cried fresh tears at the thought of completely destroying our friendship. I had always been able to turn to her for anything and I had driven her away. It was for the best, that's what I had to keep telling myself. All of this was for the best, for them at least.

I went into my room and pulled out my overnight bag and stuffed a few bits and pieces inside. Most of my clothes were at Edward's but I couldn't go back for them...if I went there I'd never find the courage to leave.

Angela knocked on my door and hesitantly stepped inside the room. I heard her gasp as she saw what I was doing and her eyes brimmed with tears straight away.

"You're leaving now?"

I nodded solemnly and continued stuffing the things I wasn't taking with me into black bags.

"Please don't, Bella. I don't want you to go...I mean you don't even know if he knows where you are yet." She walked over and put her hands out, trying to stop me or hug me, I wasn't sure.

"I can't stay, Angela. James does know where I am, trust me, it's so much safer if I just go before he can hurt anyone else." I thought about telling her what happened outside the apartment last night but didn't say a word. "I won't let him hurt you, or Alice, or Ed..." My voice cracked as I spoke his name.

She shook her head but I cut her off before she could speak.

"He's a monster, Angela, and I can't think about living with him watching me. It tears me apart to think about leaving, but I can't live that way again."

Angela nodded and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow." I handed her an envelope and said, "My rent and bills."

"Forget the money, Bella, I get off work at nine tonight. How about we have a pizza and watch a movie. I'd like to have one last night with my friend before she leaves and I never get to see her again."

I nodded and smiled at her. "Sounds nice." I felt cruel, but I was so numb and broken I couldn't react with anymore emotion. I simply had nothing left to give.

**EPOV**

I hadn't expected to get much sleep, so I was surprised when I woke up and the clock was pointing at almost two in the afternoon. I was still on top of Caitlyn's bed, fully clothed. As I remembered why I was here the memories of last night hit my chest forcefully, much like an out of control freight train and I jumped out of bed to escape them. I could hear my sister's voice and I went downstairs to the kitchen.

My family was all sitting in the kitchen talking among themselves. I guessed it was about me because as soon as I walked through the door everyone shut up. I was greeted with sympathetic smiles and my mother got up and embraced me tightly.

"I left you asleep, Edward, you were out of it when we got here and I thought it was best to leave you." She pulled back and looked at me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Please don't worry." I wasn't convincing I was sure, but she let it go. Caitlyn threw herself at me and burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, Edward. It's because of my stupid party that Bella's gone. I don't want you two to break up. I love her. She was the best girlfriend you ever had." I knelt beside her and hugged her.

"Ssh, Caitlyn, it's not your fault. Bella's got some pretty bad problems and she couldn't stay any more. I don't want her to go either, kiddo."

"No, Edward. Mom told me about that man who follows her and stuff. If it wasn't for my party then those pictures would never have gotten out and she'd still be here." She was inconsolable, but I just I couldn't tell her she was wrong. As harsh as it was to admit, if Bella had stayed in New York instead of going to that party, then she would be here with me right now.

After I consoled Caitlyn, Dad urged her away and took her to watch a DVD in her bedroom. My mother pulled me over to the couch and sat me down.

"What happened, Edward?"

I sighed heavily, the last thing I needed was to talk about this again but I gave her a quick synopsis of last night's events and she never said a word. I did see her wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. You know that she never meant to hurt you, she'll be terrified, Edward, and the only thing she knows she can do to escape it is to run."

Rosalie nodded in agreement and Emmett got his ten penneth in. "I agree with Mom, we saw you two together, bro-she was as smitten as you were. Bella's just got so much going on in her mind that it's too much for her to deal with." I saw his expression shift from sympathetic to calculative and he paused before he spoke again, "Can we do anything? Find him and forcibly remove him from her life? I'm sure Art knows someone who can track him down."

Those comments earned him two disapproving scowls from Rosalie and my Mother.

I shook my head. "Her father already tried that, he found someone to put him in hospital but it made things worse for Bella. So unless you approve of permanently removing him from the picture that's a really bad idea." I saw Rosalie's face fall in shock. "Don't worry, Rosalie, it won't happen. The minute Bella left, I had no way of finding him to do it. But believe me, if I could then I would."

"Let's not talk about this. Edward, you really need to talk to her in private, why don't you give her a call and go and see her once you get back to the city." My Mother rubbed my arm again.

God I wanted to do that, I would have done anything to see her at that very moment. But I wasn't going to beg, she had decided that the best thing for her was me out of her life. She was right, it was because of me that he had found her again. I had promised her that she could trust me to keep us out of the public eye and I failed her. My mother was still pushing me, urging me to try to talk to her one on one. I sat forward and pulled my hands through my hair in frustration. I couldn't do this now.

"It's done, Mom. Trust me, if you'd been there...if you saw Bella's face you would realise you were fighting a lost cause. No one is bringing her back now, she's gone and I need to accept it." I stood up and walked outside. The rain was lashing down and the bitter wind blowing in from the coast was whipping it against my face. I stood there for a while and let it soak me through; trying to convince myself that it was washing away all trace of her from my body.

When I was too wet and cold to bear it any more I went back into the house and showered. I was pretty much left alone for the rest of the day. My mother and brother were always in the periphery, watching me, making sure I wasn't about to swallow a bottle of pills or take a rope to my neck.

The day dragged and the night even more so. We ate in relative silence, watched a movie and then I stayed on the couch as everyone else trudged upstairs. I still wasn't ready to face my room so I watched television until well after four in the morning. When I did finally enter my room I didn't dare turn on the light. I pretended I was in a strange hotel room, one which had no memory of Bella and I got into bed trying to keep her out of my head long enough so I could get to sleep. It didn't work, she was in my every thought. I was worrying about her, wondering if she was okay. Thinking about him and if he had found her yet, thinking about the gift I'd bought her in London and had been to chicken to give to her. Maybe if I had she wouldn't have walked away.

Six o'clock came and went and I was still awake, still thinking about her. I must have dropped off briefly at some point as I was woken at seven by Caitlyn. I didn't have the heart to tell her I needed to sleep so I let her tow me downstairs to the kitchen. I helped her with her breakfast and then poured myself several cups of strong coffee in an attempt to keep myself awake. She was trying desperately to cheer me up and talked incessantly about all sorts of useless things. Boys she had a crush on, boys who had a crush on her. I listened and made the right ooh and ah noises when I should have. I welcomed the distraction.

We were alone in the kitchen for an hour or so before my parents came downstairs.

"Good God, Edward, you look terrible. Did you get any sleep last night?" My mother scalded as she took in my less than immaculate appearance. I needed to shave, I had huge dark circles under my tired eyes and my hair was stuck flat to my head. It was a good thing we had no photo shoots on the horizon or I would give the make-up artists a challenge to get me even remotely lifelike.

"Mom, I told you last night I was fine. Please stop worrying. I think I'm heading back to the city this afternoon. I'm gonna pack a few things and come stay with you guys in LA for a while...until I get my head sorted at least." This was one of the many things I had mulled over during my sleepless night. The other was that I had to stop moping about after Bella, I had to accept that she was gone and that was a good thing. If anyone made you feel like you were dying on the inside then they were better off out of your life for good. Right?

Emmett and Rosalie were staying at the house and flying to LA with my family that evening so I drove back to the city alone, the drive was a great way to clear my head and I knew I needed to move past this before it destroyed me. As soon as I had parked up Emmett's car I went straight to Art's without even going home. It was nearly six so I would manage to sneak in before the mad rush started, hopefully I could drink my troubles away, at least for a few hours. One trouble really I suppose, Bella.

**BPOV**

After I finished packing I was a mess. I hadn't realised how many memories were attached to simple things such as jackets, a purse, or a pair of shoes. Most of the things I had bought here in the city and until now there had been no bad memories, my life until now had been perfect.

No, perfect was a bit of a stretch. Edward had been spot on about that, I wasn't living...existing was probably the better word. Working, running, working and sleeping did not add up to a gratifying life. But that all changed when Edward Cullen walked into Art's one random Tuesday night nearly six months ago. Since then I had gained a whole new perspective on the important things in life and I wasn't ready to go crawl back under the rock that I had been hiding under for so long.

I walked out into the lounge, the entire apartment felt empty. I flopped onto the couch with the intent of watching television until Angela's shift finished in a couple of hours. However, the exhaustion was taking it's toll and I fell asleep before I'd even lifted the remote. Angela woke me up at nine-thirty, a bottle of wine in one hand and a pizza in another.

"Alice hasn't been home all day. Is she staying at Jasper's?" I looked at Angela sadly.

"Yeah. I think she's probably going to move in. Mike's moving in with a friend next month, so it seems silly for them both to be forking out for two separate apartments." Angela set the pizza down and went to open the wine in the kitchen.

"Wait, Angela, what about you? Will you be able to afford this place on your own?" Angela and I were alike in so many ways. We both had at least one parent to whom money was no object. Yet we were both unwilling to live on their hard-earned cash and strove for independence.

"Bella, I'll be fine. Ben's going to move in and if need be we can lease out the other rooms. It won't be the same without you guys of course, but still...I love it here." She paused and looked at me. "Of course, if you change your mind and stay here, then nothing will change whatsoever."

I shook my head at her. "I'll be gone tomorrow, Angela. I'm sorry."

Angela looked angry, but tried to hide it. "Let's just eat and have a drink, Bella. If this is our last night together in the city, then I want it to be Bella and Angela having a giggle." She thrust the pizza box at me and I took that to mean that she wasn't interested in arguing with me anymore.

I just about managed to force a slice of pizza down but the knot in my stomach was back as it had been every time James had been present in my life. I did however, consume more than my fair share of wine. I was hoping it would numb some of the fear and hurt that I was feeling. Although I didn't think there were enough vineyards in the world to help with that problem.

Angela had carefully chosen Breakfast At Tiffany's for us to watch. I didn't miss the irony of her choice. A woman running from her problems rather than standing and facing up to them, of course the hunky man begging her to stay and then their romantic reunion in a wet New York Street was definitely something I wouldn't be getting. I tried to be good company for her, but all night the conversation was forced and Angela looked uncomfortable. As soon as the movie finished she excused herself and went to bed.

I did the same but I knew I wasn't sleeping. My mind was torn in half and there was a full-out war going on inside my head. One part of me was screaming at me to stay here, talk to Edward and beg him to forgive me. The other was commanding I leave now for selfish and unselfish reasons. I was still no closer to absolution at six so once again I decided to go for a run in the Park. I had my MP3 player on, playing Zeus tracks at full volume in my ear. As I had done yesterday, I ran and ran until I was unable to stand.

I'd left a life behind twice before; once after losing my mother, and the other when I left Seattle. Of course, they had been tough to deal with, but in all honesty I had never found it so difficult to leave something. Just imagining never seeing him face to face again, never hearing his voice, his laugh, or never being able to kiss him made me feel like I was suffocating.

I was also starting to feel the rage burning inside me, desperate to claw its way out. James had done this to my life, he had driven Edward and I apart. I was missing the person that _I_ had become over the past six months. For the first time in seven long years I had almost forgotten to be afraid.

I wasn't ashamed to admit a few more selfish reasons why I wanted James to be gone from my life. I had sympathisers, friends and family who would all rally around me if this thing with James got bad. But despite their best intentions, not one person knew how I was feeling, no one understood how it felt to be hunted and no one understood how the fear consumed all you were and ruled your every thought and your every move.

Just like yesterday, I sat here for hours. It was cold, really cold and the rain was getting steadily heavier. I was angry and exhausted, and absolutely no more tears left. I was asked by several police officers if I was okay, and decided to make a move before I had to try and convince one more person that I wasn't having a mental breakdown right in the middle of Central Park. I walked wearily home, back to my apartment for one last time. I tried to remember every minute detail; the colour of the pavement, the smells that were lingering in the air, the vendors and the cars that lined the streets. I wanted to store all of this information, keep it emblazoned in my mind because I would never be here again.

By the time I walked back into the apartment Angela had already left for work. That made things a little easier, saying goodbye face to face would have been too much for me to deal with and I was relieved I could just leave, slide away without having to turn my back on anyone else.

I was all packed and ready to go so I showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt. I was still without my heavy coat, so I pulled on my denim jacket. I would be freezing outside, but once I was on the train or the coach I would be fine.

Actually no, I would not be _fine_. I wouldn't be cold, that's the best I could do. I seriously doubted I would ever be _fine_ again. How could I be _fine_ when the only things that had made me happy in six years were still here?

I took the sacks I wasn't taking with me to the manager's office, they were being collected by a charity on Monday morning. There was one last thing that I had to do before I left. I couldn't leave without at least trying to explain why so I picked up a pen and some sheets of paper and began to write.

Angela wouldn't be home until after nine, so I left the letters and my key on the side in the kitchen and took one last look around my home before I closed the door to the apartment.

I felt the cold hit me straight away and I shivered automatically. It had turned bitter and the rain was lashing down. I took a taxi to Grand Central Station and stood looking at the departure boards, trying to choose somewhere I could start over. As I mulled over my choices, I saw one route which passed through a station called Mason City.

Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, his name resonated in my head over and over. I had no idea what this place would be like, but I looked at the board and smiled. Maybe, if the town wasn't too bad I could stay there, one last desperate attempt at keeping some part of him in my life. I bought a one way ticket from the counter, the woman serving smiled.

"You been Mason City before?"

I shook my head and just held out my hand for the ticket.

"That's the place the plane took off from. 'The night the music died'." She looked at me and waited for my reaction. When I didn't give her one she shook her head. "Young people these days have no taste in music. Don McLean's American Pie has the line 'The night the music died'. He sang it about the plane crash which killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper."

"Oh right," I mumbled,I forced a smile and took the ticket, before quickly heading to the platform for the 16:30 departure. I looked behind me at the scores of people greeting and bidding farewell to each other and sighed sadly. No one was here to see me off, I hoped James had watched me arrive here, if he saw me leave the city then he would have no reason to stay behind and hurt anyone...llet him follow me, let him hurt me, I didn't care anymore.

_**EPOV**_

I was mesmerised by the rain streaming down the front windows of the bar. As people passed, they had their coats wrapped tightly across them, their hoods or umbrellas up, trying in vain to keep out the rain, the wind, and the cold. I had been here in the bar for an hour or so, feeling empty and numb.

"Have you spoken to Bella?" Art finally asked and snapped me out of my trance-like-state, staring at the window.

"No, Art, I haven't. I think she made it perfectly clear what she wanted on Friday night," I snapped, it was bothering me how I reacted whenever I spoke or thought about her. I knew the anger was a defensive reaction, if it wasn't that it would have been tears and I certainly didn't want Art to feel like I needed a hug. "Please, I really don't want to talk about her. I just came here to have a beer.

Art nodded sympathetically. "Sure, Edward. Sorry."

I turned my focus to the window again. I tried to look at every face that passed by, hoping one of them would be Bella. I wasn't dealing with this well at all and it was alien to me. I had never been so despondent or broken after splitting with anyone before. It had pretty much sucked, but I simply felt a little downbeat for a day or so and then been as good as new. I knew that getting over Bella would be impossible, I mean I couldn't think of one damn thing that I would change. Even all this shit with James was worth dealing with if it meant I got to keep her. I loved her, every single part of her and she was gone, just like that.

I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I didn't want to talk to anyone, but on the off-chance Bella was actually the one on the other end of the line I answered it immediately.

"Yo, Edward. You over at Art's?" I was surprised to hear Seth's voice. "Stay where you are, me and Garrett are on our way over."

"Seth, please, I don't need babysitters. I'm a big boy and I just need to get my head around a few things. I doubt I'll be much company anyway."

Seth ignored me, "Hey, I just fancy a beer and a few racks of pool. I'll see you in a few." He hung up and I groaned in frustration.

I heard the door swing open a few minutes later, expecting it to be Seth...praying it would be Bella. But it was neither. Alice and Jasper smiled and came to sit beside me at the unusually quiet bar. Maybe it was the weather putting the patrons off, or perhaps it was the horrible atmosphere that I was exuding, but I didn't care, I appreciated the space.

I noticed Alice looked terrible. In the six months since meeting Bella, Alice had always looked so put together, never a hair out-of-place. Now though she was a mess. She had an old woollen cardigan wrapped around her, the usually perfect hair was lank and flat to her head and she didn't have a trace of make-up on. Her eyes were red and puffy, she must have spent the last few days crying over the loss of her best friend.

"Have you heard from her?" she asked hoarsely. Not able to meet my gaze.

I shook my head. "You?"

"No." I saw her bottom lip quiver and she bit down to compose herself. "Not a word. Angela spent last night with her watching a movie. But she said they hardly spoke. She's all packed and ready to leave. I haven't been back to the apartment since Friday."

I looked away, closing my eyes. Bella wasn't taking her time. She was leaving sooner not later. I could ring her, hear her voice one last time and try to convince her to stay. I knew it was pointless, if her best friend had been unable to get through to her, what chance did I have? After all she had never taken me, or us, seriously.

We never said anything else. Jasper remained close by Alice's side, he looked just as exhausted as his girlfriend. I knew he pulled long hours as a fire-fighter and I guessed he was pulling long hours consoling Alice too.

I began to understand Bella a little more now. James wasn't even here yet and he had already turned so many people's lives upside down. That's what he had done to Bella for so long and that's why she kept on running. She thought by staying, history would repeat itself and someone she cared about would end up getting hurt. If only she could see that by losing her, so many people were hurting anyway. We were all here for her, of all the times she'd had to face this, right now she had more than enough people around who would help her, and who had everything at their disposal to help her. But instead she chose to run and I'd probably never see her again.

Art never spoke which was unusual for him, and even when Seth and Garrett first arrived the mood never changed. Garrett gave me another annoying look, I was sick and tired of the pity, I knew that people meant well, but it didn't help. Seth was like a breath of fresh air, he made no mention of Bella and insisted we go for a game of pool as it was probably his only chance to kick my ass, given that my mind was totally elsewhere for the time being. I agreed and let him wipe the floor with me for an hour or so. It did little to make me feel any better, but he seemed to think he had at least distracted me for a short time.

It was 10:15pm when we went back into the main bar. There were no other customers there besides Alice and Jasper. Clearly, the depressing environment was enough to deter anyone from coming in. Art, Garrett, Jasper and Seth chatted quietly, but Alice and I sat in complete silence. Neither of us had anything to say about Bella and we had no intention of making small talk either. Another fifteen minutes passed by and the door swung open so hard it banged against the wall and caused a framed photo of Art's late Father to fall to the floor.

Angela walked in sobbing, another guy was behind her who I recognised from somewhere, but couldn't place his face. I assumed it was her boyfriend, the one she met in Miami. She was clutching something tightly in her fist and she thrust her hand out to Alice.

"She's gone, Alice. Really gone, all of her things have been cleared out and she left these papers and her key on the kitchen side." Angela looked as distraught as Alice, the only difference between them was the sheer exhaustion on Alice's face. She knew this was coming, Angela hadn't actually thought she was going through with it. That was obvious.

Alice looked briefly at the papers in her hand and then held one out gingerly in my direction. "For you, Edward."

I took it silently and hesitated before I read it.

_Edward,_

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I've hurt you, sorry that I am walking away from something that was so great. Sorry that I have completely ruined everything for us._

_You have no idea how much I wish things could be different, but they're not and this is something I have to do. Not for me but for you. I have never loved anyone like I love you. These past few months have been the most wonderful time of my life and I have never felt more alive, more like me. Being with you actually helped me forget what it was like to be afraid again. But if I stay he will hurt you and I can't risk that. I love you too much to ever let it happen._

_Saying goodbye to you is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do and it's breaking me into pieces to do it but it's something that I have to do._

_I hope that you can forgive me._

_Bella_

_x_

I had held back for two days and couldn't any more. I slammed the letter down on the counter and covered my eyes with one hand as the tears filled my eyes. I swore over and over again. I could feel someone's hand on my arm, squeezing gently and I looked up to see Alice's face crumpled too.

"Shit, who died man?" The guy who came in with Angela looked at Jasper in horror. "It's like a funeral in here."

"Bella's left the city," Jasper replied quietly and I remembered where I knew him from. He wasn't Angela's boyfriend, this was the guy who had taken Bella out before we met. Moronic Mike she'd called him.

"Whoa, that's a shame. Damned that chick was fine. Why did she do a runner then?" he pressed. "Is it anything to do with the argument she was having with her boyfriend out in the hall on Friday?"

Seven heads snapped up to look at him. What?

"What argument?" Alice demanded, her eyes looking to me for an explanation. I just shrugged, I hadn't been to her apartment on Friday, that was the day she was fired and spent wandering around the park.

Mike looked slightly confused by the interest, but answered nonetheless, "I heard your door bang on Friday night. I took a look through the peep-hole and saw Bella getting into it with a guy. He had her pressed up against the door and it looked pretty intense. I was going to go out and see if she was okay, but then he kissed her and left. So I figured she was fine."

"What did he look like, Mike? Could you hear what they were saying?" Alice had jumped up and was standing directly in front of Mike. Her hands were reaching for him, ready to grab his arms if he tried to make a move.

"I dunno, he was a tall dude. Blond hair and quite burly...kinda like Jasper's build. I only heard a few words he said...um...something about being back on Monday and he called her Isabella. Apart from that I don't know." He stopped before something occurred to him. "Oh yeah I almost forgot. He was a Brit. Talked like she did."

No one spoke. Everyone was reeling from that revelation. Even Seth who wasn't usually too quick on the uptake understood.

Alice nodded. "He always called her that. Izzy or Isabella. She hated it, that's why she freaks out if anyone else ever uses it. That's why she took off like she did, because he'd already found her, Edward. It doesn't take a genius to see how crazy she was about you, those photographs made it pretty clear. James would say and do whatever he could to get her away from you...I suppose you were his secret weapon. All he had to do was threaten you and he knew she'd leave...he'll want her as far away from us as he can."

"But why didn't she tell us, God, Alice, she must have been terrified all weekend. That's why she never slept, why she went out for hours and hours even this morning in that rain." Angela was crying again and she moved to hug Alice who looked devastated.

I felt my legs turn to jelly. How could I have missed that? I was too wrapped up in myself and how I was feeling, that I failed to see just how scared she was. I sat down on the stool and closed my eyes. I pictured him with her shoved up against the door, pictured him forcing his lips on hers and balled my fists in response.

Alice and Angela were still upset and the rest of the guys were hovering awkwardly. Unsure of what to do or say. I needed to leave the bar, I needed to go home and think.

"I'm heading home. I can't stay here, I feel like my head's going to explode." I stood and nodded towards the others. I didn't disturb Angela or Alice, I wasn't good with hugging people other than my family and Bella of course.

As I readied myself for the rain and cold I felt someone on either side. Seth and Garrett followed me out into the street.

"I told you before, I don't need a babysitter," I spat and marched off.

"No you don't, Edward. But you do need a friend or two and that's what we're here for." Seth slapped my shoulder and then shoved his hands into his pockets.

I nodded appreciatively and we walked quickly home. All the way I was re-reading her letter in my head, hearing her voice say each word. It made so much more sense now. But in truth, thinking she hadn't loved me would have made getting over her that much easier. Now I knew she did love me, and she was only leaving to spare me, the journey back to "normal" was going to be even longer.

_So find her...tell her you won't let her walk away. _

As we approached my building I noticed Malcolm hovering halfway down the steps with an umbrella in his hand.

"Why doesn't he just wait inside the door. Surely no one's going to expect him to stand outside in this weather?" Garrett wondered aloud.

I looked at his stance, he was off centre with the umbrella, his left hand extended slightly, almost as though he was holding it over someone else. I let my line of sight drop and sure enough there was someone sitting on the steps beside him. Who the hell would sit outside in the rain and cold? I could see from here that whoever it was, was dripping wet and shivering. In fact they weren't even wearing a coat, nothing more than a denim jacket.

Suddenly, as the face of the person came into view, I realised who it was and froze in the middle of the side-walk.

"Bella?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN Did you think I'd just let her leave? **

**Thanks to prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading, reviewing, alerting etc. You're a million kinds of wonderful!**

**Next chapter tomorrow...promise...but right now I have to sleep or the chances of me falling asleep in the toilet at work are highly probable!**

**Bye!**

**Katy**

**xx**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks to the amazing prettyflour for prereading but all mistakes are mine. Disclaimer - I own nothing!**

**Chapter 22 - I Don't Want To Run Anymore**

**BPOV**

I was sitting on the train, waiting for it to leave when an elderly couple took the seats opposite me. I watched as they waved furiously to whom I presumed were their grandchildren on the platform. I looked down and saw the man take his wife's hand and squeeze it as she began to cry. The children blew kisses and mouthed, "I love you," before walking away with their parents.

"Saying goodbye breaks your heart, doesn't it? Even though you know it's only goodbye for a little while," the man mused sadly.

I nodded and smiled politely, watching this couple interact was almost enchanting. The lady sniffed slightly and without a word, her husband produced a handkerchief from his blazer pocket and handed it to her with a kind smile. She took it and dabbed her eyes gently before tucking it back into her own pocket. She caught me looking and began to talk.

"It's the thing we look forward to the most...seeing those children, but goodness it's the hardest thing to have to say goodbye at the end of the trip." She pulled out a packet of biscuits from a bag and offered one to me as she opened them.

"No thank you," I whispered. .

"Are you okay, dear? You look upset," she asked softly. "Someone so young shouldn't have so much sadness in their eyes."

"I'm fine, just nervous about starting over," I blurted out.

"So what are you running away from here in the Big Apple?" The man chuckled, and my breath caught sharply.

"No, I'm not running away from anything." I rebuffed his words but didn't convince him at all.

"It's a fact of life that we're either running from or towards something, and I'd bet my bottom dollar you're running away. Call it intuition." He picked up a paper and began to browse through it.

"Take no notice, dear. My husband was a janitor in a psychiatrist's office for thirty years, but I swear he thinks he's a shrink." She laughed sweetly, and began reading over his shoulder.

I watched them for a minute. They were in their late sixties, early seventies maybe and a blind man could see just how happy they were. When she scalded her husband for turning the page before she'd finished reading, he simply chuckled and turned his face slightly to kiss his wife's cheek.

As I was sitting here watching this couple it hit me. I could never have that, I could never be happily married to a man who I loved and who loved me, and I could never be a mother or a grandmother. I would never be anything but what I was now; a shadow of a person, hiding away and never really living. James had taken that opportunity from me and I'd only get the chance to really live my own life when he was gone.

As I continued to watch them..yearning for what they had, I realised I didn't want to be an old woman holding my husband's hand as our grandchildren waved us goodbye. I wanted to be me, as I was right now, and I wanted to hold nobody's hand but Edward's—the man I was leaving behind.

I needed to fight back, I had to stop letting James rule my life and influence every decision I made. How could I ever win if I ran whenever things were difficult? I had to face him front and centre and end this once and for all.

I knew I'd hurt so many people in the past few days and I had no right to expect their forgiveness but I had to try...

I snatched up my bags, wished the elderly couple a safe journey home, and I slipped from the train just moments before it was due to leave the station. I _wanted_ to talk to Alice and Angela, but there was only one person who I _needed_ to see right now. I jumped into the first cab I could find and gave him Edward's address. There would likely be press here...waiting for a shot of me...of us. They had been around ever since the first pictures emerged, but so what? James could hardly confront me in front of photographers and reporters could he?

I looked around cautiously as I got out of the cab, and noticed the only person hanging around the entrance to Edward's building was Malcolm, Edward's doorman, who greeted me warmly as I walked up the steps.

"Miss. Bella, good evening. Come on inside it's awful out there." He held out his hands to take my bags. "Mr. Cullen isn't in but you have your key so head right on up. Let me get those bags for you."

I stopped before I walked through the door and shook my head. "No, I'll just wait here." I turned and sat down on the cold, wet, concrete steps.

"Miss. Bella, it's freezing and it's wet. You must come inside, I don't know when to expect Mr. Cullen back."

"Thanks, Malcolm, but I'm already cold and wet and I have nowhere else that I want to be right now." I smiled reassuringly at him and he shook his head in disbelief.

And there I sat, waiting. Malcolm ignored my protests and came to stand with me. He held up a huge golfing umbrella above my head and tried his best to shield me from the awful weather. It didn't really help, I was absolutely soaked through and more cold than I had ever been in my entire life, but I didn't care. I sat there for hour after hour and had almost given up hope that Edward was coming back at all.

Then I saw him.

Seth and Garrett were walking beside him, but I never gave them a second glance. He was all I could see; he looked tired, his face was unshaven, but he looked more perfect than I could ever remember. He frowned and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as he noticed me.

I stopped shivering instantly and no longer felt how sodden my clothes were...none of it mattered. I stood up nervously, I had no idea how to start, or what to say. How did I begin to beg him to forgive me for acting the way I had?

"Bella?" Edward spoke first, his voice sent the most incredible feeling running through my body. How could I ever have tried to walk away from him? "Bella...what...I thought..." I saw him take in my appearance; limp, wet hair plastered to my face and my clothes literally dripping from the hours spent waiting for him. "How long have you been here?"

"It doesn't matter, Edward. I just needed to tell you that I'm so sorry and that I love you. I was an idiot to try and walk away...an absolute idiot." In the midst of icy water running down my face, I felt warm tears leave trails down my cheeks. I needed to explain exactly how I felt, make him understand what I was asking of him but the expression Edward's face was cold...hard...and I couldn't say another word.

"I'm sorry too, Bella. Sorry that you didn't trust me enough to help you. I thought _we_ were too good for you to ever turn your back on but I guess I was wrong." He looked at the floor.

"No, Edward, I was just scared. I mean...he...I...I just can't let him hurt you...not because of me. I lo-"

"No, Bella, don't," Edward cut me off sharply. "I got your letter, so you don't need to say another word. I'd like to believe you, I really would, but I just can't...not anymore. It's so much a part of you...the fear and guilt...it consumes you, Bella...you just can't let go and I've realised that as long as you let him control you, there'll be no room for anyone else...not even me. I'm sorry that I ruined what you'd built here, I really am...but I just can't...I'm just not good for you."

"Edward...please...I-" I began, but once again he cut me off sharply.

"Bella, you should leave now, it's cold and you'll freeze to death if you stay out here much longer." He walked past me without another word or glance in my direction, and he never looked back as he walked up the steps and into his building.

I didn't move. Seth and Garrett were still outside, watching me carefully. "Just let me talk to him, Bella, he didn't mean it," Seth said softly, and then followed Edward inside.

Garrett walked over and placed one of his hands on my shoulder. "Bella, you're freezing, Jesus." He shrugged out of his coat and held it out to me. "Here, take it, please."

"No thank you, Garrett. Could you please give him this, it's his key. I should go." I handed him the key but otherwise ignored his outstretched arm and began to walk away briskly.

I heard both Garrett and Malcolm call out to me, asking me to let them hail a cab or walk me wherever I needed to go but I ignored them. I didn't want to see anyone, I was too late I had already lost the only person that really mattered.

When I arrived to the place I used to call home, there was no one inside. I slid to the floor beside the old front door finding myself waiting to find out if I'd lost my best friends too. I hadn't been there long when I heard Alice and Angela talking as they entered the building. I saw Jasper first, with his arm wrapped tightly around Alice and they stopped as soon as they saw me.

Angela raked her eyes over me and darted quickly to my side. "Bella, I thought you'd left already." She knelt beside me and grabbed my hand, rubbing it to try and generate some heat. "God, you're freezing, Bella."

I looked past her to Alice, she was standing in the same spot, her face expressionless.

"I'm sorry for how I acted...I was so scared I couldn't think straight. But, I don't want to run any more, Alice. I love it here and I don't want to lose you, either of you." I started to cry again as I spoke.

Angela wrapped her arms around me straight away. "Bella, you haven't lost us. We're right here and we always will be."

"Thanks." I smiled at her, and looked back to Alice.

She said nothing at first. Then she stepped out of Jasper's hold and walked over to me. She held out her hand and I took it. I was yanked to my feet roughly and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. "I'm sorry too, Bella. I was a shitty friend and I wasn't there for you when you needed me, but I am now I promise. We won't let him win this time."

"I'm scared, Alice," I whispered. "What if hurts you? After Mum, I can't..."

"He won't get near any of you," Jasper said fiercely. "Let us help, Bella."

"Come on inside, Bella," Angela said, and unlocked the door to _our _apartment. "You need to get some warm clothes on."

Jasper slipped quietly across the hall to his place, leaving Alice, Angela, and I alone to talk. My bags were wet, as were the clothes inside them, so I borrowed a pair of leggings and a sweater from Alice and sat with the girls on the couch. I was so thankful to have them back in my life, but nothing could quash the emptiness that I still felt without Edward.

Alice asked about him straight away. "Edward?"

Fresh tears spilled onto my cheeks and I shook my head. "It's too late. I've ruined things completely with him, Alice. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and I've pushed him away."

"No way, Bella. We saw him at Art's a few hours ago and he's a mess. If you just talk to him and explain." Angela rubbed my arm, trying to reassure me.

"I've just come from his apartment, Angela. I tried to apologize and tell him what I told you, but he told me to leave." I flinched as I remembered his hard face and his cold voice as he spoke. "It's no more than I deserve."

"Maybe he just needs some time," Alice said quietly. "He loves you, Bella."

They didn't say anything else for which I was thankful. I may have lost Edward, but I had Angela and Alice and because I still had them in my life I would stay and face this. I knew it was going to be terrifying for them as well as for me but I wasn't leaving, not this time.

There was a knock at the door and Angela swore. "Sorry, I called Ben. After you left I was upset and asked him to stop by. I'll get rid of him." She jumped up and ran to the door.

"Send him to Jasper's apartment and he can explain." Alice scooted closer and put her arm around me. "We'll stay right here, Bella."

I nodded and lay my head down on her shoulder, allowing my thoughts to drift back to Edward.

I heard Angela open the door and I heard Ben speak.

"Is she here?"

**EPOV**

As soon as I got through the door I stopped and grabbed the wall. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode through my chest, and my head was spinning.

I had drilled the thought that she was never coming back into my head so ferociously, that when I saw her sitting there, it felt like an out of body experience. For a fraction of a second all the pain vanished, but then I remembered what she said to me in the bar and it all came flooding back. It was too late, we were beyond repair. She had given up on me.._.on us..._not three days ago and it tore me to pieces If someone ever made you feel that way, then surely that person was better off out of your life for good...right?

I could hear Garrett and Malcolm call out to her, they were begging her to stop but apparently Bella just walked away.

_Doing what she does best I suppose._

I slowly walked to the elevator but hesitated at the doors. I was floundering, Bella had come back...why?

Seth put his arm across my shoulder and said, "Edward, are you just going to let her go? I mean look at you, you're a mess without her."

I shook my head and moved into the elevator. As I turned around Malcolm and Garrett had come inside and Garrett moved forward to pass me something.

"She gave me this, it's the key to your apartment." He dropped it in my hand and stepped back. "I'm going to go over to her place, make sure she's okay. She was wet through and absolutely freezing, Edward."

"Whatever you think best, Garrett." I shrugged and put the key into the lock on the elevator panel.

"Five-twenty, Sir," Malcolm said quietly and we all looked at him in confusion.

"What's five-twenty?" I kept my hand over the button while I waited for his response.

"You asked Miss. Bella, how long she'd been here. She arrived just after my shift started, sir." He looked at me sadly and turned to walk back to his post.

I looked at Garrett in disbelief, because it was now almost eleven. She had been out there in the cold and rain for almost six hours waiting for me. I didn't move. I didn't go upstairs, and I didn't get out of the elevator.

"Do I need to ask you again?" Seth asked, and I looked at him. "If you're just going to let her go?"

I shook my head. "No."

I didn't say anything else, I just jogged out of the elevator, through the lobby and straight outside into the rain.

**BPOV**

"Is she here?"

As soon as the sound hit me, my head snapped up towards the door. It wasn't Ben, it was Edward. He was wet through with his hair flat to his head, droplets of water were running down his forehead into his eyes. He looked right past Angela and straight at me. I forgot everything, I think I would have struggled to remember my own name in that very instance. I didn't care about James, about being afraid or anything else. I could only think about Edward.

"Can we talk?" He inclined his head out towards the hall. "Please, Bella."

I couldn't speak, I didn't trust my voice. I simply nodded and stood up. I could feel Angela and Alice watching but I didn't take my eyes from him. I walked over slowly, desperately wanting to throw myself into his arms and kiss him, but I didn't. I needed to talk to him and God, I hoped he could forgive me.

Edward stepped back into the hall and I followed. Someone closed the door behind me and I took a deep breath. He was staring at me, but his eyes were giving nothing away. I couldn't tell what he was thinking or what was coming, so I decided to jump right in and say my piece first.

"Edward, I know I had no right to turn up like I did and expect you to let me walk right back into your life. I thought I could do it. I thought I would be able to walk away from you because deep down I knew it was the only way I could know you'd be safe. But I was wrong."

"Bella. Listen, you do-" Edward began to speak but it was my turn to cut him off sharply.

"Please let me get this out, Edward."

He nodded and stepped back away from me—keeping the distance between us. Just seeing that small, probably unconscious gesture almost broke me again.

"The night that I met James was the last time I was ever really me. I think that's why I have issues with 'other voices'. It's the real me trying to claw her way back to the surface. Seven years I've hidden away and for seven years I've been scared and always looking over my shoulder. I admit that I forgot what it was like to really live, but you were completely right, Edward, I was consumed with fear and guilt for what I put people through and I had no room for any other emotions...until I met you.

"You made me all but forget everything that happened, Edward, and it was so easy for me to be me. The _real_ me and not the girl I'd been pretending to be for so long. The last six months have been the happiest that I can ever remember and that's because of you." I took a breath before carrying on.

"The night the photos came out I knew that when he found me, he'd hurt you, Alice, Angela, and anyone else who gets in his way. I panicked and I honestly felt like I was suffocating from the fear. It was worse than I'd ever known it to be, but I was still being selfish, even then, I couldn't say goodbye to you and I wasn't going to run..I wanted to stay.

My hands were shaking and I balled them into fists to try and disguise it. "He's here, Edward...he was here on Friday..."

"I know," he whispered. "The guy across the hall saw him."

I nodded. "I wanted to tell you...but I just couldn't. He threatened you Edward; he threatened you and your family. He knew everything about Caitlyn...her school, which bedroom she slept in for God's sake. How could I stay and risk him hurting her...hurting you? That would have been the most selfish thing I could ever do, and that's when I realised why the fear was worse than ever...it was because of you. Until now nothing has ever scared me like James, but the thought of something happening to you was a thousand times more terrifying than anything James could ever do to me. I wasn't going to stay here and let him hurt you because of me."

"What changed?" he asked. "Why didn't you leave?"

"I don't want to be afraid any more, Edward and I don't want to lose you. If staying and facing him, means I could stay here with you then I'd take it. I love you so much, Edward."

I was trying to hold his gaze but as I waited for his reaction I had to drop my eyes. I stared at the battered, tiled floor beneath my feet and it felt as though I was looking inside my soul; cracked, chipped, and all but broken beyond repair.

I tool another deep breath and glanced up nervously, waiting for him to say something. Edward's face was showing no emotion at all.

After a few minutes of unbearable silence, he took a slight step forward. "Are you done?" I reeled at his words, they were so harsh and detached.

I nodded feebly in response to is question.

He stepped forward again, another half a step. "That guy said the bastard kissed you, that he hurt you, Bella?" His voice cracked an emotion was breaking through but I couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not. He looked at my throat, the bruises were visible and he reached out to trace his fingers across the marks, and my eyes fluttered at his touch. "What else did he say?"

"That after he was done, you wouldn't wake up like Jake did in Seattle. I'm so sorry I didn't put my trust in you, Edward. I'll hate myself for that for the rest of my life." I could barely pluck up the courage to look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I wish things were different but the-"

"I know I'm an absolute mess, Edward, but I promise I'm trying to find the real me again. I don't want to let him win anymore. The only thing I want, the only thing I'll ever want is you." I had tears running down my face again.

"Ssh, Bella, please don't cry," he pleaded and stepped even closer to me, holding my cheeks in his hands and wiping away the tears with his thumbs. "Bella, I wish that things were different, But they're not and-"

I tried to interrupt again, but Edward moved one of his hands to cover my mouth, a smile playing on the corners of his lips.

"You shouldn't have to live like this and it makes me sick to my stomach when I think about what he's done to you. God, I wish things were different for you, Bella, I really fucking do. But they're not." He sighed and looked at me so intently I felt as though he could see right through every act, every false smile, and every wall I'd built for seven years. It was too much for him; my life and all the drama was too much for anyone who had to experience it. I couldn't blame him, I was living in a nightmare and he deserved better than me.

"You don't have to apologise, Edward. I know how hard this is for people to put up with. The crap that surrounds me drives people away...how could it not?"

I had to close my eyes, the tears that were spilling over were stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. Edward's thumbs were still there, wiping each one that ran down my cheek.

I stood there waiting for him to release my face and leave, but instead I felt his lips sweep across mine briefly. So briefly, in fact, that I wondered if I imagined it. I opened my eyes and tried to focus on his face, he was still gazing at me, but his expression had softened. He dropped his head and rested it on mine.

"Bella, nothing about you could ever drive me away. I love you, I think I've loved you since the first moment I saw you. Just let me help you, Bella. Promise me that you won't try and walk away again and I swear to God I won't let him hurt you. I don't care about James, _you _are the only thing that matters to me and I'll do anything I can to help you deal with this. He's done ruining your life."

I was speechless. Despite everything, he loved _me;_ he still wanted to be with _me_. I pulled him closer and kissed him. I knew things would get difficult and everyone around me would have so much to deal with, but right now I couldn't think about anything except for Edward. In that moment I considered myself the luckiest person on the planet. I had my friends and I had Edward. I _was_ going to win this time, Edward was right, James was done ruining my life.

I was still crying, happy tears of course, but Edward laughed against my lips as they continued to spill down my face. "That's an awful lot of crying you're doing. In fact are you sure you're not feeling dehydrated?" He moved back slightly, still keeping his hands on my face. "You only had two bags with you at my apartment? Where's the rest of your stuff?"

"Um, well there's still loads at your place. The rest I packed into bags and boxes and gave them to the building manager to give to charity." I shrugged.

I moved to kiss him again and at first he responded enthusiastically, but far too quickly, he pulled back again. He moved his hands, and wrapped them around my waist. "We should probably get them tomorrow and take them home. How many boxes are there?"

I looked at him and frowned. "Maybe four, I don't know for sure. I wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind when I packed them." I ran my hands into his hair and pulled his face to mine. As before, he did kiss me back, but also as before, he pulled away.

"Four boxes? They'd fit in a car right?"

_Jeez, what's the biggie with your things? Who gives a damn? You have Mr. D back, and for what we have planned, no clothing is required. Kiss him again, distract him._

It would appear Inner-Bella was back. I hadn't heard anything from her since James made a re-appearance. It felt oddly comforting to hear her voice again. I felt more at peace when all I could hear was her insane chatter in my head.

"I don't need a car, Edward. The manager lives in this building." I clutched at his neck with my hands and tried to bring his head back down to mine again but he wouldn't let me budge him.

"Bella, I think we'd get fed up walking backwards and forwards down Fifth with your clothes in tow." He planted a soft kiss behind my ear and I froze in his arms.

_Whoa, did you just hear what I heard?_

"What?" I shook my head, trying to understand his words. I was rendered speechless again and Edward laughed at my shocked expression.

"I was trying to ask you to move in with me Bella." He spoke so freely and with no trace of hesitation in his words. I couldn't doubt his sincerity at all.

"You want me to move into your apartment?" I barely managed to get the words out. "Why? You don't need to ask me in reaction to James, Edward. Between you, the girls, and Jazz, James isn't getting near me any time soon."

Living with Edward sounded wonderful, but I didn't want him asking for the wrong reasons. I wasn't going to hide away any more, I was never doing that again.

"I am not asking because of him, Bella. I love you and I just want to wake up next to you every morning. You practically lived at my place anyway." Edward smiled at me nervously before adding, "But for the record, I don't like the idea of you living somewhere with a main door that's always wide open."

This was something I had never anticipated, and never allowed myself to imagine. Could I do this?

_Hell yes you can._

The uncertainty in Edward's expression started to fade and was replaced with rejection. "Bella, if this is too much too soon for you, then I'm really sorry. If you don't want to then just say so, we can just take things slowly."

I wanted this. I wanted him. As I prepared to answer, a huge smile broke out on my face and I knew I was making the right decision. "Are you sure you've thought about this, Edward? I mean have you considered the implications of living with someone who talks to herself on a daily basis and has a psycho following her around every minute of the day?"

Edward grinned. "Yeah, I'm afraid you've got your claws well and truly lodged in my back. I'll take you however I can, inner voices and a psycho exboyfriend aren't deal breakers for me."

"What did I do to deserve you?" I whispered quietly, and moved one hand to lightly trace my fingers down his forehead and along his nose. "Time to be serious, Edward. Things are going to get bad...really bad, I just feel so guilty involving your family with my shit."

"We've employed security staff before Bella, and we can do it again if need be. Nothing is going to happen to me, to Caitlyn, or any of us, I promise." He kissed my forehead and pulled me against his chest, his shirt was still wet from the unrelenting rain outside, but I could feel the warmth radiating from him and it felt so good to be back in his arms again. "You haven't answered my question. Move in with me?"

"On one condition."

He moved back to look at me. "What's that?"

"That I pay my way. I am not sponging off you or my father. How much is your rent?" I braced myself for his answer, ours was bad enough and we didn't have a plush pad on Fifth.

"You don't want to know. Besides you're unemployed, what were you planning on paying with?" He pushed me up against the door and placed his hands on either side of my head. "This isn't a big deal, Bella."

"It is to me. I'll get a job, hey I could even sell one of my kidneys. You only need one right?" I tried to joke, but I made a mental note to actually research that on the internet.

"That's a no to selling your body parts. I happen to be very attached to all of you, internal organs included. As for getting a job, how will it look to your new employers when Alice, Angela, and I are permanently camped outside the office or wherever you happen to work ?" He kept kissing my head, cheek and nose, an obvious attempt to distract me.

"Mm, that's true...maybe I can talk to Art tomorrow and see if I can get my old job back. You'd better help or you can say goodbye to some of those organs you're so attached to."

He shook his head at my stubbornness. "Okay, Art's is good, we'll go and see him tomorrow. As for the rent and bills, Bella, please just forget about it. When we've dealt with James once and for all, I will happily move us into a squalid little studio in the worst neighbourhood in the city if it makes you feel better." He rubbed the tip of his nose against mine.

"Consider that a verbal agreement. It is legally binding in the state of New York." I nodded knowingly.

"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"No, not really, but if you know what's good for you, then you'll agree to my terms, Mr. Cullen." I went to push him away.

"Fine, I agree to your terms. So is that a yes?"

"It's a yes." I smiled at him. "I'd love to live with you."

Edward broke out into a huge smile and then kissed me again. This time he didn't pull away, this time neither of us could get enough. I almost forgot we were still outside the apartment in the middle of a communal hallway. A gruff throat clearing disturbed us and we turned to see Ben hovering behind us.

"Um, sorry to bother you, but I can't get to the door." He smiled shyly.

Edward laughed and pulled me to the side, moving behind me and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He held out his other hand and offered it to Ben. "Sorry, you must be, Ben, Angela's boyfriend? I'm Edward. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah...um...you too...um, Edward."

Hearing voices other than ours out in the hall, Angela and Alice swung the door open, wide smiles on their faces. No doubt they had spent the past ten minutes with their ears pressed firmly against the door and one eye checking through the peep-hole.

"Hi, Ben." Alice stepped out into the hallway then she turned to face Edward and me. "I'm so happy you guys worked it out. But, please try to bring her back every now and then, Edward—we have custodial rights too you know." She winked and skipped over to Jasper's apartment.

Angela laughed behind me and summoned Ben inside. He was still stood gaping at Edward and failed to notice. "Ben!" she shouted. "Quit staring at him. Get your cute little butt in here and leave them in peace." She reached forward and yanked Ben into the apartment, before she closed the door behind them she popped her head around. "Bella's barely eaten or slept all weekend, Edward, so make sure you feed her and maybe let her get _some _sleep tonight. See you later, Hun." The door slammed, leaving us alone once again.

"Feel free to keep me up as long as you like." I hesitated as we walked to the door. "He could be out there...what if he sees?"

"Let him see, Bella. I want him to know I'm not afraid of him and that you belong to me." He squeezed my hand tightly in his.

So, for the first time we walked together, holding hands on the still busy New York streets, without worrying about the consequences and it felt better than I ever thought possible.

"Welcome home," Edward murmured when we made it back to his apartment.

I didn't have time to say anything in return, his lips were on mine, and he backed me to the bedroom. I helped him out of his wet clothes, and felt my hands shake as they ran over every inch of skin I could reach. When my clothes were gone, he lay me down gently on the bed, settling in between my legs.

"I love you," he whispered, pushing inside.

"Oh...God...I...love you," I breathed.

His hips rocked slowly, but it was enough to ignite the fire in the pit of my stomach. The agony of trying to leave, the decision to stay, and now the fact I was still here with Edward, was too much, and I came, calling out his name over and over and over.

I woke up with Edward, our arms and legs still tangled together, and it was perfect. The rain was still pouring down and the skies were dark, but even the horrendous weather couldn't dampen my mood.

I didn't attempt to get up, I lay just watching Edward sleep. I had never seen him so unshaven or rugged looking. I couldn't resist gently stroking the back of my hand down his cheek and as soon as I touched him, his eyes opened and he smiled. "Hey room-mate."

We stayed in bed for most of the day. It was good to be with him like this...being able to hold his hand and play with his hair. By the afternoon, my stomach was protesting loudly at the lack of food it had seen over the past few days, and Edward begged me to go to Ma's for a late breakfast. We took a cab there, the confidence he'd shown last night somewhat muted after he'd had time to reflect. James would be out there, he would know I wasn't leaving, and he would know I was staying with Edward. I kept my eyes on the door the entire time we there, every time it opened I checked anxiously that it wasn't James, but he didn't make an appearance

On the way home we called into Art's and I felt nervous. I hadn't seen or talked to Art since my dramatic outburst on Friday night. I smiled sheepishly as we walked over to the bar. I needn't have worried, Art looked pleased to see me and he greeted me warmly.

"Bella, I'm so happy you're still here. We're all here for you, any time you need us, okay?" Art said earnestly. "And if you ever want your job back just say the word."

"That's sort of why I'm here," I said, "But first, I want to apologise for what happened on Friday...I-"

"No more of that. I understand, we all do." He reached across the bar and squeezed my hand. "So you do want your job back?"

"If you'll have me?" I smiled and he laughed.

"The customer's love you, Bella. I think they'd protest if you left for good. Start tomorrow night if you like?" Art began to reel off other shifts I could cover this week but Edward stopped him.

"Nothing this week, Art. I'm flying to LA tomorrow and she's coming with me."

"I am?" This was news to me, I turned and frowned at Edward. "Were you planning on asking me?"

"Nope not really. Ssh." He chuckled and put a hand over my mouth before addressing Art again. "I can have her back here for Sunday night."

Art agreed and pencilled me in for Sunday night.

"I'll take as many shifts as you've got, Art." I wriggled out of Edward's grasp and elbowed him playfully.

"Yeah sure thing. I'll draw up a roster for Sunday. You two want a drink?"

Edward shook his head and said, "No thanks, bud. We've got a few things to take care of." He barely gave me a chance to reply before he was marching me out of the bar.

"What's the rush, Soldier?" I was almost having to jog to keep up with him. "Where are we going that's so important?"

He turned to face me with a huge smile on his face. "To get the rest of your things so you can move in officially. Then you need to pack for LA."

I smiled back at him. "Then in that case, march away."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Hopefully you liked this chapter a little more than the others?!**

**Thank you to all who read, review, alert and pimp this fic! I did try to respond to all of your reviews, but I am sorry if I missed any!**

**More tomorrow.**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading, but I have made changes so all mistakes are mine!**

**Chapter 23 - Front and Center**

**BPOV**

I retrieved my things from the manager's office and Edward hailed us a cab outside the building. It was a little run-down and the security was pretty much non-existent, but it had been home for over two years. During that time the girls and I had shared some great times, but there had always been a dark cloud looming over me, threatening to rain on my parade.

When we arrived at Edward's building there were some photographers loitering around outside. I heard him swear under his breath and he asked the cabbie to drive a little further down Fifth Avenue before pulling over.

"You grab a box, Bella, and go in ahead of me. I'll be right behind you okay?"

I nodded and walked as fast as I could towards the door. Malcolm was to my side as soon as he saw me and ushered inside. The photographers surged towards Edward who had three boxes stacked up in his arms, and I heard them quiz him about the boxes and what his plans were. Edward remained silent and walked into the building a few seconds later.

"Would you like some help with those, Mr. Cullen?" Malcolm offered.

"No thanks, Malcolm. Could you make sure the other guys know that Bella is moving in. I also need to talk to you about something else...someone else that might be hanging around outside. " Edward set the boxes down inside the elevator. "I'll give you all the details as soon as we're back from LA. We leave tomorrow and won't be back until the weekend."

"Of course, Sir. Anything you need, Miss. Bella, just give me a call." He nodded and resumed his post by the door with a smile.

As we rode up to Edward's floor I had tried to protest against Edward taking me with him to LA but he shook his head and laughed. "Bella, I'll have a few PR things to take care of, but for the most part I'll have nothing else to do. We can get some time to us and just forget about these past few weeks. There's a party that I'm supposed to go to on Friday night, the label is throwing it for us, a congratulations on the album and tour. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?"He looked at me nervously, waiting for my response.

"Another party?" I said quietly. "Are you sure that's a good idea after the last one?"

"When we first met and I found out what happened to you, Bella, I always assumed you'd never be able to come to anything work-related and I was fine with that. But, now that he knows where you are I hoped I wouldn't have to keep you hidden away all the time. I'd love you to come with me, but if you aren't comfortable with the idea of being front and center like that, then we won't go." He kissed me, and I frowned.

"_We_ won't go?" I clarified and he nodded.

"I don't want to go without you. I won't go without you, but that doesn't mean I'm trying to make you feel guilty, Bella," he told me.

"Are we talking elaborate or intimate?"

"Definitely elaborate." He chuckled. "Although it's supposed to be a party thrown for us, the PR team make sure the label receives plenty of exposure out in the real world. The guest list will be huge and I'd guess I haven't met half of them...but the drinks are free. Mom, Dad, and Caitlyn will be there, and Em's taking Rosalie too, so there will be a few friendly faces."

The elevator doors opened and he pushed the boxes with his feet into the apartment. "What do you think?"

"I think it sounds like fun, Edward. I'd love to go with you."

I saw his face break into a huge smile and I was glad I'd said yes, but at the same time I felt sick with worry. I couldn't expect him to understand, no one could, but just because James knew where I was didn't make it any easier to put myself out there. I'd spent seven years trying to fade into the shadows and every time I thought about doing anything different I panicked. I doubted it was something that would ever change, not while James was still around, but it wasn't fair to ask Edward to hide away with me. This was his life and if he wanted me to be a part of it then I would do it, for him.

He cleared some room in the bedroom closet for my clothes and the other bits and pieces I brought with me. He did try to help me unpack but he was more of a distraction and it took us three times as long as it should have to get the job done.

After we had eaten dinner we took a long bath together. Well, when I say bath I wasn't being very generous. The bath tub was more like a swimming pool. It was so deep that I was completely submerged in water and bubbles. I was lying between Edward's legs, leaning back against his chest with my head on his shoulder.

Even though James was back, when I was with Edward like this, I felt as though I was untouchable. I had never felt that way with anyone, no one knew every part of me like Edward did; he knew my deepest secrets, my fears and regrets and I loved that I could share everything with him. None of my previous boyfriends even came close.

Aside from James and Jacob, there had only been Tyler. We had been a couple throughout the majority of our school years. Tyler was a really great guy, and I was pleased that he was the one I got to share all my firsts with. Even when we decided to end our relationship, things had finished as friendly as they had begun. Tyler had been waiting to join the armed forces and I was still deciding which path I wanted to take, but we both agreed we needed to live a little on our own for a while.

My father wanted me to move over to Seattle, and work for him. I was so against that idea I enrolled in further education just to keep him at bay for another two years. I began to consider careers in medicine, teaching, and even law, however, a few months later I met James and we all know what happened next.

_Excuse me? When you're finished with the trip down memory lane, please try to remember you are in a bath tub, sitting in between Mr. D's legs and you are both very much naked. Do I need to say anymore?_

I glanced up at Edward, he was looking at me, with a wide grin on his face. "I was wondering when you'd be back with me. Did you drift off to anywhere nice?"

"Nowhere better than this." I smiled back. "Actually I was just thinking about what I would have done with my life if I hadn't met James."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me that you hadn't planned on being the next Mary Poppins?" Edward gasped in mock horror.

"Nope, neither did I think _'I'd be working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, when I met you,'_" I attempted to sing and Edward threw his hands over his ears dramatically.

"Whoa there, you'd better stop singing. The weather's miserable and we'd be pretty damn cold up here if you shattered the windows." He laughed. "I tried to think of a new career for you once I've taken care of James. After hearing that, I can safely say anything which involves singing is not for you."

_You think it's bad hearing it out there. Imagine what it's like for me cooped up inside._

"Actually, on that subject, I was thinking about going to see Mr. and Mrs. Ross to see if I could get my job back, the kids were great and I got some pretty decent holidays. It wasn't such a ba..."

Edward cut me off sharply, "No way, Bella. They didn't even give you a chance to explain or see just how things would have worked out. They assumed I was a player and then because you were involved with me they judged you too. They seemed to forget that it was because of their daughter that anyone found out who you were in the first place. They treated you like the shit they would wipe from the bottom of their shoes. You're too good for them, Bella, and at least when you're working at Art's I get to hang out with you."

"What about Caitlyn?" I asked. "How are you going to keep her safe?"

"Already taken care of, Bella," Edward told me. "As soon as the photos leaked, I arranged for a guy we worked with on tour to shadow my family. Art's also setting me up with a guy he knows here in the city. As soon as we're back from LA he's coming over to meet us."

"Why not hire someone from the same team?" I asked. "Why a friend of Art's?"

"Because despite James' threats to my sister, you and I both know he won't let you out of his sight if he can help it. Peter is a great guy, but he's a by the book kind of guy, so if he did encounter James, he'd secure him and then have him arrested." His tone became deathly serious and he added, "Felix doesn't play by the rules, and I need to have this taken care of once and for all."

**EPOV**

We had been in bed for about two hours when Bella's phone rang. The car service would be here to drive us to the airport in less than an hour. I groaned as she fumbled around the side of the bed trying to pick it up.

"Mmm?" she murmured down the phone. I could tell she was almost on the verge of falling back to sleep again, but suddenly I felt her stiffen next to me, it was only a split second before she hung up and turned off her phone.

"Who was that?" I whispered, snuggling my face into her hair and pulling her closer to me.

"Wrong number I think." She didn't elaborate further and I fell back to sleep.

When the alarm went off at four, I almost threw it at the wall. I heaved myself out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. I emerged to find Bella awake and dressed, she looked exhausted and barely managed a weak smile as I pulled her into a hug. The car was already waiting for us when we made our way downstairs. Even on no sleep, being stressed out beyond all comprehension, and without a trace of make-up she still managed to look flawlessly beautiful. I was annoyed to see that it was my least favourite doorman on shift and I caught him looking her up and down as we left the lobby. I shot him my most menacing glare and he looked away nervously.

Bella was quiet on the way to the airport, she rested her head against me and had her eyes closed but I didn't think she was asleep. I could feel how tense she was and I knew something was on her mind, but I didn't want to bring it up until we could be alone to talk. Johnny had offered the company jet for us to use but I'd refused. I wanted it public knowledge that Edward Cullen's new girlfriend was accompanying him to LA. I was hoping our entry into LAX would be seen by the photographers at the airport and then we could take the private jet back to New York after the party. It was a plan that probably wouldn't work, but it did no harm to try to mislead James into thinking we were hiding out in LA.

Despite the early hour and the bitter cold outside, there were still several photographers loitering around the airport. They snapped away at Bella and I as we checked in, I kept her tight to my side and tried to shield her from the flashes. I signed a few autographs on the way into the departure lounge, but the commuters and travellers, for the most part, left us alone.

After we boarded Bella fell asleep quickly but I could tell there was something on her mind. Well of course there was, but this was something else, even asleep her face was tense and she looked uncomfortable. I pulled her into the crook of my arm and tried to make her feel safe, at least up here, tens of thousands of feet above the earth, she was safe from him. I just wanted to make it that way for her once we were back on the ground again.

Once we had touched down in LAX the entire world seemed to know I was there and we needed the help of security to make our way out of the terminal. I didn't particularly mind, this was part of my plan but still I could see how apprehensive Bella was with the whole thing. The photographers were shouting my name, her name, and asking us why we were here in LA.

"Ignore them and keep your head down," I whispered in her ear as we walked quickly out of the terminal and into the pick up area.

Emmett was waiting in Rosalie's BMW with the engine idling. "Hey, guys, nice welcome for you, huh?"

As he moved away from the sidewalk, one or two more forceful photographers banged their cameras against the windows to try to catch a glimpse of us. As soon as we were clear of the airport I felt Bella relax.

"Emmett?" she said quietly, and my brother looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "I'm so fucking sorry about how I behaved on Friday night...really I'm so ashamed of myself. It's just...well...after James came back...and he threatened...I was scared...and I..."

"None of that matters, Bella, we all understand how hard it's been for you. You're here now, and I'm happy you figured it out together. If you need anything, anything at all, we're all here for you okay?" he said softly.

She smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Emmett, "

He took his hand from the steering wheel and waved it dismissively. "Don't give it another thought, we all understand."

I squeezed her hand tightly in mine. "I take it Caitlyn is excited that Bella's coming?"

Emmett laughed in agreement, "All I will say on the matter is, good luck trying to get any time to yourselves while you're here. She's at school right now so you can get a few hours peace at least, however, you know she won't leave her alone when she gets back."

On the drive to my parents' house Bella switched on her phone and it buzzed immediately, I watched her carefully as she sighed and raised the phone to her ear.

"Voice mail?" I asked, not meaning to sound intrusive, but she reverted back to the tense and uncomfortable Bella she had been when she first woke up and I was concerned.

She nodded but didn't elaborate, she barely gave the message time to play before she snapped her phone shut and put it away without another word. I didn't ask her about it, not whilst we were in the car, but something was going on and I wanted to know what.

As soon as we pulled through the gates to the house, my mother emerged through the door and greeted us both with a tight hug. "Bella, it's wonderful to see you again. How are you? I know that's a silly question considering, but if you need to talk just let me know."

"Thanks, Esmé, that really means a lot, I want to apolog..." Bella barely managed to get the words out before my mother interrupted quickly.

"I won't hear you apologize for anything, Sweetheart. There is nothing you should be saying sorry for. We all lose our way at one time or another, the important thing is that you found your way back again, and that you're safe." We continued to chat and Emmett left to go and collect Rosalie from a shoot she was working on, apparently the girls were going on a shopping trip as soon as Caitlyn got home from school.

"Of course you'll come too, Bella, right?" My mother beamed, "We're shopping for the party and Caitlyn is dying to see you."

Bella agreed, somewhat reluctantly and I told my mother we were going to unpack. As soon as we stepped through the door I sat on the bed and patted the space beside me. "Spill, Bella. What's wrong? Don't try to tell me nothing, you should know your eyes give you away every time. Come on what is it?" I took her hands in mine and waited for her to start. She frowned and she moved as close to me as she could, wrapping her arms around my waist, and resting her head on my shoulder.

"Edward, please can we talk about this later?" She sighed.

"No. Don't shut me out, Bella, please?"

"Okay, but don't flip out." She fished out her phone from her pocket and put it on speaker. "You need to listen to these."

Her voice mail answered and greeted her with the usual message. I looked at her in confusion until I registered the number of voice mails she had.

"_You have eighteen new messages."_

**Isabella, I have waited so long to hear your voice and feel your touch. I will fight for you, you know I will. I love you more than anything and I need to have you in my life. **

I took a deep breath, his voice was so clinical. He spoke with such perfect articulation, pronouncing every syllable clearly. It was almost as though he was reading the words from a prepared script. I waited for the next message.

**You're a filthy, fucking whore. Do you not remember what I said to you outside that shit hole of an apartment you live in? You know I'll do it, Isabella, I will stop at nothing to get what I want. ****Just know that I'm always here watching you, Isabella. You belong to me...not him...and ****I will never let you go.**

I closed my eyes, frantically trying to push the words out of my head. The shift in those two messages alone was disturbing. The mood had shifted from obsessive yet quite passive, to obsessive, violent and threatening. I wasn't sure that I wanted to listen to anymore, but I braced myself anyway for the next one.

**Message 3**

**Isabella, stop fucking ignoring me and get him the hell out of your life. You know I will never allow you to be with anyone else and one way or another I swear that...**

Bella turned off the phone and sighed. "They're all the same, I don't need to listen to the rest of them to know exactly what he'll have to say. It's something to take to the police, but what's the point? They won't be able to find him...he's too smart to get caught." Her face was ashen and her hands trembled as I held them in my own. "And so it begins. Welcome to my life, Edward, I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, You shouldn't have to...because of me you have some fucking lunatic on your back. This is just the beginning you know, things will get a hell of a lot worse."

I shook my head and pulled her as close to me as I could. Even now, after everything, she was still trying to give me an out. Telling me I should leave.

"Bella, I can't even think how fucking scared you are, but that sick bastard won't get within an inch of either one of us and if he does I'll kill him myself." I kissed her forehead. "I know how hard this is going to be, but he wants to get inside your head, love. That's how he's controlled you for all these years, but this time he knows he's losing. You aren't running and he's desperately trying to get that edge over you again."

I felt her nod weakly. I couldn't even begin to imagine how she was dealing with this, how she had done it for all these years. I had been subject to one or two over-zealous fans in the past, we all had. It was part of the life we had chosen, but never had it been anything worse than a few letters or late night phone calls. Not once had anyone turned violent or abusive and it didn't seem fair that she was living that kind of life when she had done nothing to warrant it. The worst part of it was that she felt she was ultimately responsible. That she had encouraged him, justified his behaviour somehow.

Bella was beautiful, undeniably so. She was funny and smart and just about perfect in every fucking way possible. I was sure there had been more than a few admirers over the years, but only one had taken some obsessive hold on her and ruined her life.

"Bella, we need to get you a new phone. Switch yours off and call whoever you need on mine. Tell them to ring me if they need you for the time being." I handed her my phone and she took it hesitantly. "But don't delete those messages...we can use them."

"Thank you, Edward."

I had to attend a photo shoot that afternoon, and I wanted her to come with me, to be honest I didn't hated the idea of spending more than a second away from her. But she'd be stuck in a dressing room waiting for me and I knew if she was alone she would sit and think about all the shit that was surrounding her. Perhaps a shopping trip with my mother, sister, and Rose was just the distraction she needed. I listened as she called Alice and Angela to tell them about the phone calls, constantly reassuring them not to worry and to be careful. After she hung up she sighed and closed her eyes.

"I need to call my dad. Is that okay?" She looked at me hopeful that I would say no and I chuckled.

"Sure, go ahead, he needs to know the score too right?"

She shot me a glare and held the phone to her hear. I heard a deep voice answer and Bella tensed as she readied herself to tell him the news,

"Hi, Dad, I just wanted to let you know that you'll need to ring this number if you need me. I ha- No, Dad," She paused and her head fell. I could hear her father talking but couldn't quite make out the words. "Dad, please just stop ranting, it's what I chose and it's too late to worry about that now. I just wanted to le...Jesus, Dad, would you shut up and listen for a minute? Dad, please.. Yes I'm with him now... No, Dad, absolutely not, I know exa-" She groaned loudly and moved the phone away. "Sorry, Edward, he's insisting on talking to you."

I nodded and held out my hand for the phone. "Hello, Mr. Swan?"

I was immediately greeted with a booming voice down my ear and I raised my eyes at Bella in response.

"Edward, right? Well I would like to thank you, _Edward_, for putting my only daughter in danger. I would hope someone in your position would understand the meaning of discretion, but apparently that notion escaped you. It would appear you gave little thought to the consequences when you flew _my daughter _across the country to attend a child's birthday party."

Wow this guy was intimidating, he never paused to give me a chance to respond, I was forced to listen to every word and just the tone of his voice left me reluctant to interrupt.

"I want to see the two of you. I take it you're in LA now?"

"Yes, Sir. We'll be here until the weekend at least." I felt nervous talking to him and I stuttered and stammered as I spoke.

"Fine, I'm getting a flight down there this evening. Let's meet for breakfast tomorrow. I'll call you to let you know the specifics as soon as I'm checked in to a hotel. I suppose I can trust you to keep her safe until then?" His patronising tone changed my mood instantaneously.

"Bella has nothing to worry about. I won't let anything happen to her," I responded icily.

He didn't answer, the line went dead and I set the phone down with a grimace. "Well that wasn't the best moment to speak to your father for the first time."

Bella laughed. "Trust me there's never a good time for a guy to meet my dad. I think he still thinks I'm eight and spend my free time playing with Barbie Dolls. God forbid he ever finds out we're having sex, he'd probably castrate you himself."

"I think most father's are the same and he's got every right to be worried, he just wants to make sure you're safe. It must be hard for him, I mean he hasn't seen you for so long."

I felt for Bella, she lost her mother six years ago and her own father hadn't seen her for two years. It was a credit to Alice and Angela that she was together enough to even function at all.

"Thing is with my dad, Edward, he loved my mother more than anyone else he ever met. When I was younger he used me to get to her, I was too young to understand of course, but she saw straight through the holidays and gifts he bought me. The holidays wouldn't be just for the two of us, he always added a third ticket for Mum, she always refused to go, and Dad would always end up having to cancel the holiday because of 'work'. He got better as I got older and seemed happy to spend time with his daughter, rather than coming up with ploys to win back his ex. I think he could see that Mum was happy with Phil, they were like teenagers in love all the time they were together. Dad never got over her, not really. He immersed himself in the company and started dating women half his age to try to cling on to his youth. When sh...she died, he was wonderful with me at first, but when James came back again and started terrorising everyone around me, it put a strain on our relationship. After everything came to a head..." She finally paused long enough to take a few breaths and then glanced up at me nervously.

"You know when James...when he...well, after Jake ended up in the hospital and Alice and I decided to leave, he blew his top. He basically said it was time I started facing up to my problems rather than trying to run away all the time, and I would achieve nothing if I let him control my life. I tried explaining it to him, he had to realise that if I left, then so did James and he could get on with his life. I didn't want anything to happen to him, I couldn't bear the thought of James taking him from me too." She paused and I could see her eyes glaze over, I waited for her to continue. It took her a few seconds to compose herself.

"I remember what he said to me like it was yesterday. _'It's a shame you didn't do that before the bastard killed your mother.' _He tried to take it back, claimed it came out wrong, but to be honest I could see it in his eyes. Yes he loved me, I'm his daughter after all, but I could see that it was always about Renée and whether he chose to admit it or not it was clear that he blamed me for losing her. He was right...it was my fault that she ran back to England after I was born, he was always at work and Mum needed people around her...and then it was my fault that she was dead."

I squeezed her hand and shook my head. "Bella, people say all sorts of things when they're upset. He was about to stand by and watch you leave, knowing exactly what shit you could be in. You're his daughter and he loves you. This is just a really fucked up situation and it's hard to know what to do for the best."

"I know, it's just we never really recovered from that. I've barely seen him since and he struggles with the emotional part of relationships." Bella shrugged. "Can we talk about something else?"

I nodded. "So you're off shopping with Mom, Rose, and Caitlyn. That should be an experience for you." I laughed, and she frowned.

"Yeah, I was kind of hoping you'd help me get out of that one. I don't really feel in the mood for shopping." She looked at me pleadingly. "I'm never in the mood for shopping."

"If it was just Mom and Rose then I probably would intervene, but you heard Mom, Caitlyn is involved and I'm too scared of her to even dare to interfere. Sorry Bella." I laughed and she did too, despite her obvious attempt to scowl.

"Fine, but you should prepare yourself for pissed-off-Bella when I get back," she warned. "What are you doing this afternoon?"

"We're heading to a shoot, but it shouldn't take long. I promise I'll not be back late."

"What about James? If that security guy is with Caitlyn, who will be with you?"

"Johnny, Dad, Seth, Garrett, and Emmett. Don't worry, Bella, he won't get close," I said.

"I hate what this is doing to everyone's lives, Edward. He's only been back five minutes and already he's turned our world upside-down.

"It doesn't matter, Bella," I said seriously. "They're all here to help."

We would keep her safe. There was no way that bastard would get through us, and if he tried, well I say bring it on, because it would be the last thing he ever did.

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><p><strong>AN Thank you for all your amazing reviews, you blow me away :D**

**More tomorrow!**

**Bye for now,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	24. Chapter 24

**The wonderful Prettyflour preread for me, but I've made changes so all mistakes belong to me!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 24 - Shopping Pretty Woman Style. Well, Sort Of...<strong>

**BPOV**

The voice mails were nothing I hadn't heard before, and I was so accustomed to putting up with those kinds of insults it barely registered. I was shit scared of course, not for myself-for Edward and anyone else who got in James' way.

I'd also subjected Edward to another form of hell; my father.

When the trouble first started with James he did everything he could to help. He hired an attorney to deal with it legally and when that didn't work, he hired two men to deal with the problem a little _less _legally.

I knew he never stopped caring for my mother, and when she died it hit him harder than I think even he expected. Despite what I'd brought on my family, he was wonderful in Seattle and along with Alice he helped me build a life for myself. However, our relationship took a turn for the worse when James re-appeared in my life. For the first time he had to live with his destructive presence and he realized exactly what Mum had been through before she died.

I knew what he said was a knee-jerk reaction to the fact I was leaving, but obviously it fuelled the insecurities and guilt I already felt, and I left for New York before we ever sat down and tried to clear the air.

I hadn't even called him to give him the head's up about Edward, and he heard about us along with the rest of the country when those pictures were printed. To say he was annoyed was the biggest understatement of the century.

Not only did I have to worry about keeping Edward and God knows who else safe from James. I also had to protect Edward from my father's tirade at breakfast and deal with Amelia, his dreary fiancée. Tomorrow I certainly wasn't looking forward to.

Thinking about it all made my throat dry, my hands clammy and I had the all too familiar knot in my stomach. I was sick and tired of living like this. Hiding how I felt...keeping up the façade was so much harder to do when I was with Edward. He brought out the best in me, made me want to be the real me all the time. James had taken enough of my life and I was keeping the rest.

While we waited for Caitlyn, Esme left us to spend the afternoon relaxing together. The Cullen's were wonderful and I felt as though my presence in Edward's life was welcomed. The fact that James was part of a heavy load of baggage I carried around didn't seem to matter to them.

I started to think about the shopping excursion later with Esme, Rose, and Caitlyn. I'd brought my credit card, but still had to wonder if my limit would allow me to buy even a pair of socks in the stores we would no doubt be visiting. I wanted something for the party that made me feel like I belonged in that circle...belonged with Edward. I didn't want to look like plain old me, trying desperately to fit in and failing miserably.

As soon as I heard Caitlyn's voice downstairs, Edward sighed. "Now I've lost you."

Her squeal of excitement when Esme told her we were upstairs was instantly followed by frantic footsteps heading in the direction of Edward's room.

"Bella, you're here. I've missed you! Are you coming shopping with us?" She pounded on the door. "Oh my God, I can't wait for Friday. The party is going to be awesome and I'm so happy now you're coming. It's going to be so much fun getting ready together." I barely caught a word and Edward rolled his eyes.

"You'd better go, if she keeps hitting the door like that she's going to break it down and I think we'll need the privacy tonight." He winked and jumped off the bed, to let his sister into the room. "Jesus, Caitlyn, calm down. You're far too fucking excitable you know."

"Shut up, Edward, or I'll tell Mom you said _fucking_. Emmett and Rose are here and he wants to leave soon, so you'd better get your ass downstairs." She stuck her tongue out at her brother and snatched my hand up in hers and began towing me downstairs.

_Let's hit the shops, baby. Rodeo drive here we come._

Rosalie and Emmett were in the kitchen with Esme and Carlisle. As soon as Caitlyn, Edward and I appeared everyone made a move. Carlisle was going with Edward and Emmett to the shoot and the rest of us were hitting the stores. Before the guys left, Edward gave me a swift kiss on the forehead and asked me if I was going to be okay, promising he wouldn't be late back to the house.

I nodded and rolled my eyes in embarrassment. I glanced at the others and they were all looking at me with the same look of concern in their eyes.

"I'm fine, Edward, really. Please just go and do your thing." I smiled reassuringly and watched as he left.

We followed the guys out of the door a few minutes later. I was surprised to see a man hovering around outside. I looked at him and then back at Esme and she told me, "This is, Peter, he's one of the security staff Edward organized for us, just in case."

I nodded and looked at Caitlyn who was seemingly oblivious to Peter. "I'm sorry you have to put up with this," I said quietly.

Rosalie stepped forward and placed her hand on my arm. "Bella, it's not a big deal. Caitlyn takes it all in her stride, she's had security around her before. Let's just forget he's even here and go shop our asses off."

_Easy for you to say, let's swap credit cards and see how you'd fare with my limit. _

I expected to visit boutiques and designer stores, looking at the beautiful and over-priced dresses, and cooing over them before finding the cheapest outfit I could find. However, I was so far off base with my first assumption. Instead of an upmarket store, we pulled into a reserved space in front of a very sparse looking place. As soon as we stopped, Peter ushered us inside; glancing cautiously around as he did. I took a look around and was a little confused; there were barely any clothes on display. At the rear of the room there were three doors, all of which were closed. A woman called Kate offered us drinks and said Irina would be with us in a minute or so. Kate moved behind us and the front door was locked and the blinds closed. There were a few random dresses hanging on racks and shelves with a selection of shoes, bags, and other accessories.

"This is Irina Perovski's studio. Seriously, Bella, she's an amazing stylist and designer. I've worked with her before, and asked if she could help pick out your dress for Friday. She stocks almost every designer you can think of, including her own creations; although she tends to save those for her regular clients. You'll know why when you see them...they're incredible. She keeps everything in the back and brings out what she thinks will work for you." Rosalie stopped talking as one of the doors at the rear of the room swung open.

"Hello, ladies. Lovely to see you again, Rosie, darling. This is, Isabella, I presume?" A woman, around fifty years old, smiled and ran her eyes up and down my body slowly. "You were right, I'll have fun with this one."

Irina was nothing like I expected and her own fashion choices left a lot to be desired. She wore a lime green sweater dress, which hung off her tiny shoulders, paired with red leather pants, and electric blue pumps.

"I told you she was gorgeous," Rosalie said smugly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Isabella. Rosie was right, you're exquisite."

I flinched as she called me that..._that_ word..._that_ description..._he _called me exquisite, and now just hearing it made my skin crawl.

"Irina, why don't you take Bella. I'm sure Kate can take care of us for now." Rosalie grinned and motioned me to follow Rainbow Betty into another room. Obviously my face mirrored my thoughts and she whispered in my ear, "Don't worry her taste is immaculate when she's dressing other people.

_Hell no you cannot let her dress you. Jesus Christ, we'll end up looking like a fucking traffic signal._

"Well, Isabella, I have the perfect dress. I designed it with someone else in mind, but now I've seen you...I can't imagine it on anyone but you. I doubt I'll be very popular when she finds out, but who the fuck cares, eh? Take your clothes off behind that screen and I'll be back." The crazy woman scurried out of the door singing at the top of her lungs and left me alone.

I looked around the room, it was basically wall to wall mirrors with just a small screen in one corner and a leather couch in the other. I moved reluctantly behind the screen and took off my shoes and top layer of clothing.

_Getting naked's only fun when Mr. D is the one undressing you._

I stood in my underwear for a few minutes and waited for this lunatic, personal shopper-come-designer to grace me with her presence once again. I'd never heard of her before...how good could she be?

Finally she swung into the room with a garment bag over her arm and a creepy smile on her face. "Keep your panties on, darling, but the bra has to go. Don't worry I won't peek, I like men. What I wouldn't give to go a round or two with _your_ man in particular." She closed her eyes and moaned dreamily.

_Hey she'd better stop that right now. I'm not opposed to Granny bashing._

I scowled and removed my bra, keeping my arm closely over my chest just in case there were hidden cameras and I was part of some big practical joke.

She opened her eyes and grinned that scary smile again. I honestly thought she may have smoked some wacky-bacca or slipped something else into her coffee while she was gone. She unzipped the bag and pulled out an incredible deep blue dress. She handed it over and said, "I know this will look perfect. If it doesn't then I'll give it to you for free." She nodded smugly and waited for me to put it on.

As soon as it was on I wanted to cry. Yes it was perfect. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

"It's one of my favourites," Irina mused as she helped me try it on. "It's semi-sheer, but the ruffle and detail on the top half keeps the important parts covered. The chiffon hangs so beautifully, and because it's such a lightweight material you won't feel like you're wearing a gown. The split to your knees makes it a little more funky, it's perfect for that fabulous party you're going to."

The dress was deep blue, with pearlescent beads hand-stitched onto the lace; the design was so intricate and beautiful. The fit was perfect, and it accentuated every curve.

"It's so soft," I whispered, as she fastened the dress and fiddled with the material which tied around my neck. "So pretty."

"Look at that, I knew it! Never doubt Irina. You're absolute perfection, Isabella. Now wait here, you need some shoes and a purse." She breezed out of the room and left me to fawn over the dress. I noticed a tag hanging from the garment bag and wandered over to have a look. I nearly fell over when I saw the price.

_Holy fucking shit. How much? Forget selling your kidney to pay your rent, you'll have to sell your body for the rest of your life to pay for that._

"$6,250," I whispered aloud, I couldn't pay that for a dress could I?

_Oh, but it's pretty. _

I was still staring at the price tag, when I heard a tap at the door. I dropped the bag and swung around to look,

"Bella, it's me can I come in?" I could hear the giddiness in Caitlyn's voice and I laughed before opening the door. "Look at my dress!"

She had chosen a deep red, satin and lace dress. It fell to just above her knees and puffed out at the bottom. The top was covered with lace, with a high neckline and full-length sleeves. Stitched on to her hip was a huge bow which looked perfect for a girl her age. I was about to tell her how pretty she looked, but she squealed in delight when she saw my dress,

"Oh God, Bella, that is totally amazing. I love it. Mom! Rose! You _have_ to come and look at Bella, she looks so pretty." She clapped her hands and continued to call out to the others who walked into the room laughing.

Rose smiled. "Wow, Bella, that's incredible. I told you, she's a genius right? That's perfect for you."

"Thanks," I said, still nervously wondering if I could even afford it.

"I'm glad you're almost done, Bella. Esme and I haven't even had chance to start yet, Caitlyn's hogging all Kate's attention," she teased and Caitlyn laughed.

Esme smiled warmly at me. "Bella, you look beautiful. I can't wait to see Edward's face on Friday. After the day we have planned before the party, we'll all render the men speechless." She winked conspiratorly and then said, "Caitlyn, you need to take that dress off now, come on."

Esme left the room with Caitlyn before I could ask her to elaborate about these plans before the party. Rose stayed with me until Irina returned with her arms full of boxes of shoes.

"Rosie, baby, I already know exactly what you're going to wear. I saw it the other day and put it to one side especially. Let me just get these opened and I'll fly off and bring it." She opened all the boxes and barked out to another girl to come and help me. "What do you think of Isabella?" She asked Rose.

"It's divine, Irina, It's one of your's, right?" Rose asked, and Irina nodded.

"Yeah, Tanya Denali expressed an interest in it, she's coming for a fitting tomorrow." Irina laughed.

"I'd like to be a fly on the wall when she realizes it's already gone," Rose said. "Especially when Bella turns up to the party wearing it. I didn't expect her to be there."

"I never said I'd hold it for her. If she doesn't like it then let someone else style her." She flew from the room, and I do mean _fly. _She had her arms out to the side and was making jet engine noises as she left. I raised my eyebrows and Rose laughed.

"She's eccentric, but absolutely brilliant. She has people banging down her door when the awards season comes around."

"Tanya Denali? As in Edward's ex?" I asked quietly. "

"Yes unfortunately. She'd go to the opening of an envelope she's that desperate for attention. You don't need to worry about her, Bella, I promise."

"Doesn't stop me from disliking her," I said. "How cliché is that? The new I girlfriend feeling jealous of the ex?"

Rose smiled and patted my shoulder. "I think you'll find all the jealousy will come from Tanya. Anyone in the room on Friday will know just how unavailable Edward is. You two are so cute together. I can't wait until he-" She stopped talking abruptly and blushed.

Just then Irina came back into the room holding a dress. "How's this for you, Rosie?"

"Oh, Irina, it is fanfuckingtastic. Gotta have that one." Rosalie danced over to her.

I was barely even paying attention to any of the shoes the assistant was showing me, so when Irina shouted at her to stop, it made me jump.

"Go and help Kate with Mrs. Cullen," she told her, and grabbed one of my feet and thrust a metallic-silver pump on it. There was a chunky, looped cuff round the ankle and the very slender, but very high heel was covered in pretty diamontes...or so I thought.

"Yes, yes, yes, those are the ones. Right, just your purse, and you, my little dinglecracker, are all sorted." She looked me over and hummed and ahhed for a few seconds before nodding and disappearing out of the room again.

Once again I picked up the box and looked at the labels.

_You should really have learned your lesson after the last time._

I groaned, the shoes were Brian Atwood and the diamontes on the heel were actually Swarovski Crystals. The price for these bad boys? Oh yeah, $2375. Well, at this rate I wouldn't need to worry about James hurting anyone, just keep adding prices like this into the mix and I'd be keeling over with an aneurysm within the hour.

I forced a smile at Rose who was smirking as she looked at me. "Are you sure you'll be able to walk in those?"

"It's going to be tough, especially after I've had something to drink. But, would you argue with her?" I motioned my head towards Irina who was singing _'Nine to Five'_ by Dolly Parton out in the shop front.

"Well, when you put it like that." Rose laughed. She looked every inch the model in her outfit. It was a full length grey dress which shimmered in the light. It fitted so snugly to her frame that it actually looked as though it was painted on to her body.

"Rose, that is incredible. You look so amazing."

She smiled appreciatively and sighed. "I sometimes think I'm trying too hard to stay young, Em isn't even thirty and I'm almost thirty-nine."

"I don't think that matters and believe me, you don't look like you're trying at all. That dress is flawless and you don't look a day over twenty-one. I feel like an ugly stepsister when I come to visit the Cullen's." I laughed and Rose shook her head.

"You're seriously deluded, girl. When you look in the mirror you need to open your eyes."

I smiled, thoroughly embarrassed. I didn't take compliments well. Another trait to my personality which could be attributed to James.

After I'd been charmed by a pretty Gucci clutch bag, I changed back into my clothes, happy with Irina's choices, but panicking about the price. I was hyperventilating as I approached the cash register. I knew there was nowhere near that limit on Angela's credit card, but another one sat in my wallet. One which did have more than enough, but I hated to use.

When I first moved to New York, Dad had given me a card to use whenever I wanted, but I never did. I wanted to prove that I could live independently, that I didn't need help from my successful father to make a life for myself and if I used the card now I wasn't exactly proving much to anyone.

_Do it, buy the amazing dress, the fabulous shoes, and the pretty purse. You need to look hot on Friday because Tanya, "I used to fuck Mr. Delicious before you" Denali, will be there and you need to be able to show her the two-fingered salute when Mr D gets a boner just looking at you._

"Right let's do it," I said out loud and handed over the credit card to the cashier who was looking at me like I had propositioned her.

"No, no, no, don't take that. This is all taken care of, Bella." Esme came running over, frantically waving a card in her hand. "I promised my son that you wouldn't spend a dime." She snatched the card out of the cashiers hand and handed her Edward's.

"Please, Esme. I don't want Edward to pay for all this, it's too much. I have enough on this card can I just..." I tried to object but she waved her hand at me dismissively.

"I won't be budged, Bella, so don't waste your breath." She smiled and waited for the sale to go through before handing me back my card. "Let him treat you, darling."

I let out a frustrated sigh and put the card away. As I turned to collect Edward's purchases, Irina flung her arms around my neck and squeezed me so hard I was sure I heard a rib or two crack.

"Isabella, Isabella, please promise me that you will let me have the honour of dressing you the next time you attend a party. Big or small. Will you promise?" She released me from her death grip and brought her hands together in a praying motion. "You wouldn't want me to cry like a baby would you?"

I giggled nervously at this insane creature standing before me and nodded. She cackled and launched into a rendition of Abba's Super Trouper as she twirled away into the back room.

Everyone else in the store laughed and Kate, who had assisted Esme and Caitlyn unlocked the front door for us. "Thank you for your business, ladies. It was a pleasure as always, Mrs. Cullen."

"Thank you, Kate, dear. Hopefully, one day soon, one of my son's will take a trip down the aisle and I'll be able to really have some fun in this place. If they keep me waiting much longer I fear I'll be too old to even remember my name." She mock frowned and stepped outside.

_We'll be more than happy to accept a proposal from Mr D. and help you out, Esme._

Peter was at our side as soon as we stepped into the street. Just a few feet away I saw a couple of paparazzi hovering outside another designer store. Luckily for us, they were too distracted with whomever was inside to notice until we were about to pull away. They surged forward and held the cameras up to the windows and Rose told me to cover my face.

After we had driven off the others appeared to be completely unperturbed by the whole thing and began chatting about the party. I took a deep breath and tried to remind myself that this was just one of the many things I would have to get used to if I wanted to have any kind of relationship with Edward.

When we arrived back at the house it was almost six and Edward was already home. He and Emmett were in the kitchen watching Carlisle dishing take out onto plates for everyone.

"You're in trouble, Edward." Caitlyn giggled as she ran over to her father. "Bella didn't want Mom to pay with your card. She's pissed at you."

"Caitlyn, language, young lady," Esme scolded but the others just laughed.

"Ah, I was more than ready for that, Caitlyn, why do you think I gave the card to Mom? No need to worry anyway I can handle Bella." Edward laughed and walked over to me. "I didn't want you selling internal organs to pay for a dress, Bella." He laughed as he kissed my cheek.

I didn't moan or create a scene and we all ate together. It was lovely to be here, to be surrounded by family again. I hadn't had that since Mum died and it made me realize how much I still missed her. I sat quietly, happy to take in the scene around me. Only Edward seemed to notice the shift in my mood and he kept looking at me and shooting me reassuring smiles.

Much to the disgust of Caitlyn, Edward and I headed to bed about nine. The last few days had been emotionally and physically exhausting, and we both needed some time to relax. She pestered me to stay awake a little longer, but Edward shot her a look and she instantly backed off, her bottom lip hanging so low that she almost tripped over it on her way out of the room.

"You big, bad, mean brother," I teased after we climbed into bed. "She looked heartbroken."

"Trust me, Bella, she's fine. Give her a few minutes and we'll hear her dancing around singing to some cheesy pop song." Edward was spot on and not two minutes after he said it I could hear the unmistakable sounds of Justin Bieber coming from her room.

"Thank you," I told him.

"For the dress?" he asked. "It was nothing, Bella. I can afford-"

I clamped my hand over his mouth, and crawled on top of him. "Not for the dress, Edward. For everything else you've done...forgiving me, bringing me here with you, and for just being you. I love you, and I honestly don't think I could do this without you." I leaned forward and kissed him.

"Bella, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, trust me." He held my face in his hands. "But I'm not going anywhere, I love you too."

"You might not be saying that tomorrow," I grumbled. "Not after meeting Dad."

He laughed. "I can handle you're dad."

"We'll see. Now, I think you need to distract me, Edward."

"Mm, and how do you suppose I can do that?" He smirked. "A movie perhaps?"

_Two can play at this game, Mr. D._

"You know what? I think a movie sounds like a good idea, Edward. I saw Ocean's Eleven in the collection downstairs. There's nothing like a bit of George Clooney to take one's mind one's problems. He's just got that whole smouldering, sexy thing going on." I winked and started to get out of bed.

Before my feet even touched the floor, I was on my back with a pissed-looking Edward hovering over me.

"No movie then?" I asked.

"No fucking movie, Bella. I can only think of one sure-fire way to distract you," he said, kissing me.

He un-buttoned the shirt I wore and launched it across the room, and I pushed his boxer shorts down with my toes as he launched an attack with his mouth on my face, neck, and then my breasts.

"Is it working?" he murmured, slowly tracing his tongue around my belly button. "Are you distracted?"

"Not quite yet," I breathed. "I think you need to step it up a notch."

I heard him laugh, and he drifted lower down my body, pushing my legs apart and placing a chaste kiss on my clit. I closed my eyes, waiting, but he seemed to have stopped.

"What...what are you doing?" I asked, propping my body up on my elbows to look at him.

"Thinking of a way to distract you," he said innocently, his mouth only inches away from where he knew I wanted it. "But I just can't think what would work."

"Edward," I whimpered.

"Maybe this?" he said sweetly, and ran his tongue slowly up and down, and I moaned loudly. "Ssh, Bella, Jesus, do you want my sister interrupting us again?"

"Don't stop, Edward," I breathed. "Please don't stop."

He did it again, and I covered my face with a pillow. I couldn't keep quiet, it was impossible. Then when he pushed two fingers inside me, continuing to nibble and suck on my clit, I climaxed, and cried out _really_ loudly.

"We need our own place in LA," he whispered, kissing his way back up my body. "You can't keep quiet and I honestly don't want you to be quiet...Jesus, Bella, you have no idea how much I like hearing you like this."

"Edward," I croaked. "Please."

He didn't say anything else, instead he held onto the headboard and slammed into me. His other hand slipped beneath my backside and lifted me slightly off the bed. I felt every thrust even deeper and it was sublime.

When he came, I did too, and I cringed, because neither of us gave much thought to being quiet. The music was still blasting from Caitlyn's room, so hopefully no one else heard. It was irrespective really, because it had worked.

"Consider me well and truly distracted," I said, and he laughed. "Nice work."

"Pleasure to be at your service, Miss. Swan."

~x~

I woke up a bundle of nerves at around six. My father had left a message for Edward to meet him for breakfast at his suite in the Four Seasons at nine. My father despised tardiness so I made sure we were there in plenty of time. It was a little after 8.30am when we approached the reception at the hotel. Despite the fact that I was talking, the receptionist didn't take her eyes from Edward as she listened. Even when she handed over a room key and told me that Mr. Swan had instructed us to go straight upstairs she never gave me a second glance. I fought the urge to hit her over the head with my purse and yanked Edward over to the elevators.

My nerves were getting the better of me, I never spoke a word and I couldn't stop fidgeting as the elevator slowly crept up one floor at a time. I saw Edward fighting back a smile and chose to try to scare him a little.

"I don't know why you're looking so smug," I muttered. "You can't dazzle him like you do everyone else. Having breakfast in his private suite rather than the restaurant, is Charles Swan's way of warning us that he has something to say that isn't suitable for a public place." My warning didn't work and Edward shrugged nonchalantly.

"He's pissed at me because James found you again, Bella, and I understand why. It was because of me that we're in this situation, so he's entitled to give me shit for that."

I huffed in annoyance, my attempt to scare him had failed miserably, still anxious I resumed my fidgeting for the remainder of the elevator ride.

We stepped out onto the floor and headed to my father's room. I sighed and toyed with the key card. Edward chuckled and took it from me. "Relax, Bella." Before he placed it in the lock he stooped over and kissed me. It made me smile widely and I was still smiling as he swiped the card. As soon as the light turned green he swung the door open, and the sight that greeted us quickly wiped the smile straight from my face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN This isn't a serious cliffie...I promise ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing - I love you guys so much!**

**I'll post pictures of the dresses in the FB group, MrsK81 Fic if you want to have a look.**

**More...maybe tonight, but I'm not certain I get the chapter checked in time. If not, tomorrow and ALTMTL update too,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	25. Chapter 25

**Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading, but all mistakes are mine!**

**Chapter 25 - Trouser kisses, Stuffed Saddle of Suckling Pig, and Valets**

**EPOV**

I almost burst out laughing when I opened the door. Right by the huge dining table in the middle of the room, stood a man who I presumed to be Bella's father. His pants were around his ankles and there was a blond woman on her knees with a mouthful of Charlie Swan CEO of Dalton West. He had his hands in her hair, his head was back, and his eyes closed.

"Dad!" Bella screeched and both heads whipped around to look at us. "We'll be outside." She turned and dragged me back out into the hall. "That is going to haunt me for the rest of my God damn life."

I had to laugh, I was a guy after all. "Shit, I hope we don't have to eat breakfast at that table now." I put my arms around her, still trying to control my laughter. "I wonder if he's letting her finish."

That earned me a well placed elbow in my stomach.

We were only outside a minute or so before the door opened and Bella's father beckoned us back inside, with his trousers fully back in place. Even though I had seen him before, in business journals and financial newspapers; face to face he was a very intimidating man. He wasn't as tall as me, but larger set with wiry dark hair and a very stern looking expression. Apart from the hair colour, he and Bella looked nothing alike. She was all her mother without a shadow of a doubt.

"You're early," he retorted as we followed him back over to the table. Bella said nothing in response, she just shot him a death glare and I had to bite back another laugh.

Waiting by the table was the Blow-Job-Blonde, she swayed forward in nothing but a short silk robe which was barely tied. I assumed this was, Amelia, Charlie's fiancée.

"Izzy, darling. How are you?" She moved in to kiss Bella's cheek and Bella jumped away quickly.

"Are you fucking kidding me? With what I've just seen! Don't come anywhere near me with your mouth. And I've told you over and over, stop calling me _Izzy._" Bella was glaring at Amelia with her arms folded tightly across her chest.

"Bella, please watch your language," Charlie warned and he turned his attention to me. "Edward, I take it? I'm Charles Swan, I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I can assure you it isn't." He ignored my outstretched hand and looked back at Bella

I recoiled at his harsh words and stepped back, lowering my arm. I raised my eyebrows at Bella and she looked infuriated.

"Don't you dare be rude to him, Dad. If you can't be civil then we'll leave. I don't need your crap today,okay?"

Charlie shook his head and took a seat at the table, instructing us to do the same. Amelia hovered close by and when no one else introduced her she took it upon herself to do it.

"Pleasure to meet you, Edward, I'm Amelia, Charlie's wife-to-be." She looked at Bella, "Wow, how on earth did you manage to bag a guy like this, Bella?"

I smiled politely and Bella just ignored her.

We had barely had chance to sit, when her father launched into us with a vengeance. "Right, Edward, considering you got my daughter into this mess, I want to know exactly what you're doing to get her out of it?"

"I meant it when I said I'd leave if you weren't nice to him, Dad." She stood and began to step away from the table.

Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. "Bella, please don't go. We need to talk...you know we do. I'm worried about you, can you blame me for being a little protective?" His voice softened. "For two years I've barely seen or heard from you. I've tried to help you, sent checks week after week to try to help support you, but you haven't cashed a single one. I know we left things on an ugly note, but you're my only daughter, I don't want to fight with you anymore. Please, honey, sit down."

Bella paused but did as he asked. "Look it's too late now to bitch about how he found me or whose fault it was. James is already in New York. He's been to my apartment and he got my telephone number."

"Your building is too exposed. I was going to buy you a more secure apartment, just for the time being, but I assumed you wouldn't want that, so I've made arrangements to have a new security system installed, and the front door will also be replaced in the next forty-eight hours," he said. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Thanks, Dad. The thing is...I...well I moved in with Edward. His place is really secure and he's up on a high floor...I'm sorry you went to the trouble," she said and Charlie shook his head.

"You're moving in with him? Already?"

"Dad," she warned. "Don't even go there. Amelia was wearing that rock on her hand within weeks of your first date, remember?"

"Fine." He held up his hands in defeat. "The security is still necessary at your old place, Alice hasn't moved out has she?"

"No, she's staying," Bella told him.

"Then she needs to be safe too," Charlie said. "I spoke with a few friends in the media and explained to them about your situation. Don't worry, they can be trusted-I consider them to be friends, Bella. Anyway, they should be able to dissuade the mainstream paparazzi to give you a certain degree of privacy while you're at home. I'm not sure how that would stand up now you've come to LA with him...but even if it just gives us some time to figure this mess out."

"Thank you," I told him earnestly. "The press can make things harder to deal with."

"I also think it's a good idea to leave your job with the Ross'. It's not fair to involve them in this-they have young children, after all."

"They fired me, Dad," Bella said. "After they found out about Edward."

"Oh...do you need money?"

"No thank you. I appreciate you trying to help, but I don't need anyone else's money. I can manage perfectly fine." She smiled apologetically,presumably for rejecting his offer to help.

"Don't need anyone else's money? That's funny, considering your boyfriend happens to be a multi-millionaire," Amelia sneered.

"His money, not mine," Bella replied sharply. "And I don't know how you dare, Amelia. Have you ever worked a day in your life?"

"She always resorts to petty comments, Charlie," Amelia sulked. "Can't you speak to her about that."

"Not now, Amelia." He waved her away, and turned to me. "Edward, tell me about the security in the building?"

I remained polite and informative, I explained all the aspects of the building that would keep Bella safe. I also made sure to tell him about Peter and Felix, the security staff who had been assigned to watch us. I saw Bella shoot me a look when I referred to Felix as "security." I didn't think Charlie needed to know about his somewhat shady background.

"Felix will stay with us in New York. I've asked him to checkout any vacant lots near my place, Art's or Bella's old apartment before we get back. Anywhere James could hide." I rested my arm on her leg and squeezed her knee softly. "Just in case."

Charlie nodded appreciatively. "Well I see you're taking this seriously, that's something I suppose. You had better give me your address, Bella tends to forget to tell her father when she makes important decisions in her life, Amelia, sweetheart, grab me a pen and paper from the bureau would you?"

Amelia did as he asked and sauntered back over to hand me the pen, as she passed it to me her hand lingered on my arm and she winked suggestively. I glanced at Bella who looked so angry I rather expected to see steam shoot from her ears. I wrote down the address and handed it back to Amelia, her eyes widened as she read it.

"Fifth? Well that's almost as good as you can get. That sounds wonderful. I must come and have a look, I've been dying to buy property in Manhattan but Charlie isn't too keen." Her voice had become almost a purr and her blatant flirting was embarrassing.

"Shut your mouth, Earhart, please try to remember you're marrying my father." Bella was drumming her fingers on the table angrily, and her left leg was jigging under my hand.

"Earhart? What's that supposed to mean?" Amelia looked bemused and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Earhart, as in Amelia Earhart? As in famous female aviator? Seriously Amelia did you actually go to school or were you created at the Mattel factory with all the other Barbie and Ken's?"

I had to choke back a laugh, Bella's distaste for her father's fiancée was amusing. I'd never heard her be as harsh with anyone other than the occasional creep at the bar.

"Charlie, are you going to let her speak to me like that?" Amelia's voice shifted quickly from the seductive purr to a whining child-like noise.

Charlie sighed in exasperation, clearly this was something that he had dealt with on numerous occasions before. "Bella, please can you try to be nice. I know you two don't see eye to eye, but Amelia is my fiancée." He turned and looked at Amelia before adding. "Honey, it might be best if you kept quiet and let us finish talking about this. Can you do that for me, Baby?"

"Just for you, Baby." She leaned down and kissed him earning her another scoff from Bella who looked away in disgust.

Charlie pulled back and encouraged Amelia to sit beside him which she did. "Okay, Bella, apart from the one incident outside your apartment and the phone calls, have you had any other contact with James?"

Bella shook her head. "Not yet."

"Well what did the police say?" Charlie looked at his daughter's sheepish expression, and sighed. "You didn't report him?"

"I'm going to, Dad, as soon as we get back to the city. Edward's very insistent about that, but at first my plan was to move away," Bella trailed off and she looked sadly at me. "I changed my mind, I love it in New York, Dad, and I won't let him drive me away from my home."

Charlie asked, "Were the messages threatening?"

I nodded. "We've saved them for the police...along with the marks on her neck...maybe this time they can do something."

"Marks?" Charlie added. "What marks?"

Bella moved the collar of her shirt down to reveal the bruises that were just beginning to fade. "We took pictures...for the police." They still turned my stomach when I looked at them. The thought of that bastard touching her, hurting her, it enraged me.

"He did that to you? He tried to stra..." Charlie trailed off, his voice tense. "Bella, did you go to a doctor?"

"No," Bella whispered. "I didn't tell anybody...he wasn't trying to kill me, he just wanted to scare me...it was his way of getting me to end it with Edward."

"Maybe this time the police have something to use...he's never given us this much to come at him with. Of course we have to find him first, and that won't be easy." He sighed. "I've hired PI's, retired special forces, retired detectives, and anyone else who I thought could help. It's futile, the man literally leaves no trace."

"How is that possible?" I asked. "Surely there has to be something we can use?"

"He was a banker in London and the friends he had helped him I'm sure of that. He leaves no paper trail, I presume he pays for everything in cash or is living here under an alias. I do know that he is paid an income of thousand of pounds every month from his share in his father's business, but that income is moved to an untraceable offshore account. Money is no object to him and with his knowledge of the system he can hide it in places we don't have a chance of finding."

"What if there was someone we hired to watch Bella from a distance," I said. "Maybe, if he was out of sight, he could spot James...if we're lucky."

Charlie nodded. "Use his tactics to find him? It's worth a shot."

"I'll look like the Pied Fucking Piper of Hamlin," Bella grumbled.

"Bella, you won't even know he's there," Charlie retorted.

"I think I should know how it feels to be followed every damn day, Dad, don't you?" she growled.

"You didn't before, honey," Charlie said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Bella looked at him in confusion.

Charlie paused nervously. "Look, don't get upset, sweetheart, but despite our argument, I was worried sick when you and Alice first moved here. I couldn't stand the idea of you being in that huge city alone, without any protection. So I hired a friend to keep an eye on you, make sure you were safe."

"For how long?" Bella whispered, "Dad, how long?"

"Alice saw him about nine months after you moved. She confronted me about it and told me that I had to tell you. She politely informed me just how much it would scare you if you had been the one to notice him following you. I pulled him back to Seattle and we had a good chat. He told me how you kept a low profile, working and always spending time with your friends. I never sent him back, I thought you were safe for then at least. I am sorry, Bella, I just wanted you safe."

"Did you?" she quipped, and Charlie frowned. "Even though you blamed me for Mum?"

He shook his head. "No, Bella, despite what you think, I don't blame you for your mother's death. I was scared for you, and I was angry you were leaving. I just couldn't understand how he could have such an obession with you...why he couldn't leave you alone. The only thing I could think was that you were so young when you met him, and perhaps it was your naïvety that made him misunderstand your feelings for him." His voice was barely audible. He never looked at Bella as he spoke, he kept his head hung low and gone was the intimidating man I'd met where we walked into the suite. "Please, you have to know the moment I said those words, I regretted them."

"Can we talk about this another time? Maybe we can meet up for dinner in a week or two?" Bella stood up. "I can't talk about this now...is that okay?"

"Sure, let's all meet up and talk about this again," Amelia said, her voice laced with disdain. "I can't wait for that experience."

"On second thought, maybe we can meet alone," Bella said, glaring at Amelia. "I don't particularly want to spend anymore time in her company. Dirty, rotten, tramp," she added quickly.

"Charlie, why are you letting her talk to me like this?" Amelia stomped her foot and lunged towards Bella, Charlie caught her mid-leap and wrapped his arms around her waist to restrain her.

Bella just laughed and took my hand. "We're leaving. So, Amelia, feel free to get back on your knees and do what you do best. After all it is what he's paying you for right?"

Amelia began to shriek hysterically and thrashed around in Charlie's arms; he looked quietly amused and just held her as we walked out of the suite.

After the door closed behind us, I stopped Bella and pulled her into a hug. She seemed pretty composed and after standing in silence for a minute or so I moved back and looked at her face.

"I'm fine, Edward, it feels good to talk to him properly again. We left things unresolved when I moved to New York, but maybe now we can try to start things on the other foot. I just wish _she_ wasn't part of the equation." She did look okay, surprisingly so as a matter of fact.

"Yeah she's definitely not the type of girl I expected your father to hang on his arm. Have you two always got on so well?" I chuckled and we began to amble towards the elevator.

"I despise her. She makes me want to do really fucking violent things to her." She mock growled and laughed.

"I quite like the verbal bashing she got from you. I'm still deciding on my favourite, although I think your departing comment is inching ahead." I reached behind her and pressed the call button.

"Well, she deserves it, she's a fucking whore. I caught her sleeping with her yoga instructor back in Seattle. She told Dad it was a new position they were trying out and he actually believed her. I gave up trying to make him realise after that." She leaned her head on my chest. "From the minute she met him, she started trying to act like my mother. She's the same age as me for Christ's sake."

We stopped talking when we stepped in the elevator, there were several people already inside and they all gawped at me when they realised who I was. I kept Bella close to my side. She didn't seem uncomfortable with it any more. I suppose now James had already found her she had nothing to hide from, but still I didn't mention it. I didn't want to start distancing herself again.

Much to Caitlyn's annoyance, Wednesday night we spent over at Emmett and Rosalie's place. They only lived a few miles from my parents and it was nice to relax without my little sister trying to steal Bella's attention at every opportunity.

Rose had bought the house a few years before she and Emmett met, it was set high on the coastline and she had spent a small fortune perfecting the decor both inside and out. Making the most of the spectacular view of the ocean below, we sat outside in the garden, talking about pretty much everything.

Emmett had moved in with Rose immediately after they had reconciled, and he looked the happiest I had ever seen him. Rose too had been a little more accepting of Emmett's career. It seemed strange that it took them a few months apart to realise how important they were to each other. Their problems were easily solved with a small amount of compromise. If only Bella's problem was as easy to fix.

We had intended to go back home but it was after two in the morning when we realised the time. Rather than disturb my parents and sister, we chose to take advantage of Rosalie and Emmett's guest room. By the time we had arrived back at my parent's, Caitlyn had already left for school and Mom warned us that she was on the warpath.

"I'm sorry, Bella, she really has taken to you. All we ever hear is Bella this and Bella that. I would love to know your secret." Mom laughed and busied herself around the house. We went for a long walk on the beach and then spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around watching movies.

Caitlyn was still sulking when she returned home from school, Bella was the only one who managed to bring her around. In fact it was near on miraculous, she simply asked Caitlyn what she was doing with her hair and if she wanted to go and look for some ideas on the internet.

I had a little surprise planned for Bella on the day of the party. The actual event was being held in a club in LA but we had reservations at a luxurious hotel on the outskirts of the city. We would be staying at the Royal Garden Hotel and Spa for two nights. As Bella, my mom, and Rose had a full day of pampering and treatment planned, everyone was staying on the Friday night, but then leaving Bella and I alone for the second night. My father was collecting Caitlyn from school and then the rest of us were heading over to meet them before the party. Bella needed to relax, let herself be looked after and although I would have loved to be spending time with her myself; mud baths and manicures were not really my scene.

Friday morning, I had to be out of the house for six, we were doing an interview on a local radio station. I left Bella sleeping, a note beside the bed to tell her exactly what was planned for the day.

I was really looking forward to tonight, this party was the first official time I would be able to take her out as my girlfriend without the need to consider the consequences if anyone should see us, I was in love with her and I wanted the world to know.

**BPOV**

I was woken by an annoying sounding alarm a little before eight am. I fumbled around trying to turn it off, when I realised it was coming from the newfangled phone Edward had insisted on buying me. My ears were ringing by the time I managed to figure out how the damn thing worked and I rolled over with a groan, ready to set into Edward for buying something that was too complicated. I frowned when I realised I was alone, I'd forgotten he had left early to do a radio interview. I sat up and rubbed my face, as my eyes re-focused I saw a piece of paper on the bedside table and reached over to have a look.

_**Bella,**_

_**Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. I won't be able to call you until after ten, and by then you'll be a little pre-occupied with my surprise. You need to put some clothes together because we won't be back here until Sunday morning. You, Mom, and Rose need to leave for about nine.**_

_**I'll see you in the lobby at six this evening,**_

_**Love you, Edward x**_

I smiled to myself and then frowned. What kind of surprise did he have planned that meant I wouldn't see him for ten hours and be unable to use my phone?

_Ten hours away from Mr. Delicious is too much, nothing he can have planned can be worth ten hours away from him'_

I begrudgingly packed a few items of clothing and toiletries into my bag. I took another peek at the dress I would be wearing tonight, it was beautiful and I couldn't wait to wear it, but still I felt like an impostor. How could someone like me wear something like that and go to a party with someone like Edward?

I heard a faint tap on the door. I opened it to find Esme looking excited and she held out her hands for my things. "I'll take these to the car. For the rest of the day it's going to be pure heaven. Prepare to be spoiled rotten, Bella, dear."

I smiled in response and then quickly got ready. I was just about to leave the room when Rosalie appeared. "Did you bring a bikini, Bella?"

I looked at her in horror. "No, why on earth would I need one?"

"You'll find out soon enough, we can swing by the house and pick out one of mine." She told me to hurry and we left a few minutes later.

After a relatively short drive, the car swung up a lane which took us away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There were no other buildings, just small fields and trees. Out of nowhere appeared a huge hotel. It was set in the most pristine gardens and looked more like a royal estate. We pulled up outside the entrance and my door was opened immediately by the valet.

"Good morning, Miss. Welcome to the Royal Garden Hotel." He held out his hand to help me from the car. "May I help you with anything else."

He kept hold of my hand and looked at me expectantly. I shook my head and tried to step aside but he was too close, I wriggled my hand free and shook my head.

Rosalie appeared beside me and piped up icily, "Just the car please."

The valet nodded but never actually moved. "I have never seen you here before, Miss, I would remember you."

I laughed uncomfortably and Rosalie peered down to scrutinise his name badge. "Thank you, Todd. I will be sure to mention to _Edward Cullen_ just how attentive you were to his _girlfriend_." She took my arm and pulled me up the steps. Esme was waiting for us with a smirk on her face.

"Jeez, Bella, now I see what Edward always moans about." Rose giggled as we caught up to Esme.

"What?" I tried to protest but Rose waved her hand dismissively.

"Please, Bella, the valet? I think he's in love."

I groaned and chanced a look back. Todd hadn't moved the car yet, he was watching us walk away and as he caught me look he waved enthusiastically. "Don't tell Edward, he'll go all caveman on me."

"I can't promise that I'm afraid. I tend to share too much when I have a drink." She laughed and released my arm.

The lobby of the hotel was majestic. The marble floors and elaborate pillars made it seem more like a palace. The light which was streaming in through the huge windows reflected off the thousands of crystals which made up the spectacular chandeliers.

The front desk was manned by a man and a woman, both dressed immaculately in a deep brown blazer and white shirt. The counter was a dark mahogany and was polished to perfection, in fact it was so clean I could see my own reflection, it made me take a step back, unwilling to lean over in case I left grubby prints behind.

"Good morning and welcome to The Royal Garden Hotel and Spa." The woman greeted us warmly in a very obviously rehearsed script. "Mrs. Cullen, Ms. Hale, and Ms. Swan, am I right?"

Esme nodded and smiled back. "Yes, we're here for the Spa treatment, my husband, daughter, and two sons shall be here this afternoon. There should be reservations for three suites and a chauffeur for six o'clock this evening?"

"Of course, Mrs. Cullen, one suite has been reserved for two nights, the others for one night only is that correct?" The woman produced three envelopes and handed them over to Esme. "The room keys and spa itinerary. I will just call through to the spa and let them know you are here."

As the woman made the call, Esme turned and passed me an envelope. I took out the key and put it into my purse and then browsed through the schedule.

_This sounds incredible, sauna, steam room, manicure, pedicure, mud bath, massage, mineral pool, and then lunch? I could get used to this life._

The manager behind the counter clicked his fingers and beckoned over a bell boy.

"Please have all the bags taken to the master suite for now," Esme instructed and the young man nodded, his eyes lingered on Rosalie before he pushed the trolley full of our luggage towards the elevator.

We were greeted by a young girl, maybe nineteen or twenty, she offered to escort us to the Spa and we all followed. I felt extremely out-of-place, I wasn't used to flash and fancy like this. I preferred discreet and modest. Of course, nothing in Edward's world was discreet, everything was elaborate and overpriced. I snatched a breath as the doors into the Spa were opened.

The reception area held a white counter, with soft pastel blue wallpaper on the walls. The aura was so calming and the sound of gentle running stream water only added to the mood. The girl who had escorted us this far, handed over to another girl. She asked us to sign in and then showed us to the changing rooms. These too were perfectly designed. The tiled walls looked freshly decorated and there wasn't the slightest discolouration in the grout. The cubicles were large and comfortable and there were full length lockers which were almost as large as the wardrobes in my old apartment.

Rosalie told me to put on the bikini she had loaned me and then motioned to a complimentary robe and slippers which hung in the locker. I nodded and went to change nervously. I was the first ready and I chanced a look at my phone before I locked it away.

_**Have fun and try to relax. I can't wait for tonight. Love you E x**_

I text back quickly.

_**I would much rather be having fun with you, but I guess the pampering is going to be lovely. Thank you, this hotel is incredible. What are you up to? Love you, B x**_

I waited for a reply for a minute, but Esme and Rosalie appeared so I put my phone away and followed them to the first treatment; the steam room and sauna session . It was a little hot for my liking, I felt my skin prickle with the heat straight away and I started to sweat profusely. I tried to concentrate on sitting up while Esme and Rose chatted about the party. The talk mainly focused on the guest list. Since Zeus had rocketed to stardom, a lot of big names had signed with their record label and the majority would be there tonight. In order to publicise the band and their album, the record company had also invited a wide range of other celebrities. Huge names both from the music and acting world respectively.

After I'd sweated what felt like half of my body weight away, we were shown to the steam room to sweat away what remained. I had several peeks at Esme, she was fast approaching fifty and looked wonderful. There wasn't a wrinkle or an ounce of loose or flabby skin anywhere, it was hard to believe she had three children, two of whom were almost thirty.

_Of course she has no flab, neither will you if you have to stay in here much longer_

I was sweating buckets now, my hair clung to the back of my neck and face. The talk about the party continued and I tried to look interested; nodding along as required, but I found myself drifting off in to my own little world thinking about Edward.

When we were in New York it was easy to forget just who he was, yet here in LA it was much different. I was about to spend the weekend in a hotel which no doubt cost more per night than I made in a year, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see the room. I'd stayed with my father in a few luxury hotels over the years, but I had been far too young to appreciate them. Now here I was and I was determined to enjoy every minute.

When I finally snapped back to reality, the talk had shifted from the party to Rosalie's career. She was well aware that at thirty-eight she was approaching the end of this particular chapter in her working life. She had spent twenty years following a strict diet and exercise regime in order to maintain her perfect figure.

"Well, whatever you did it worked a treat, Rose." I complimented her, I could have gushed about how toned and sculpted she was but I didn't want her to think I was a closet lesbian.

"Thanks, Bella, I have to work my ass off to keep it up these days." She laughed wryly. "Emmett is a bad influence, that guy eats like no one I've ever met. He's always wanting to eat out in restaurants or order take out. When we separated for those few months, I found it easier to keep the weight off."

"The stress and upset diet? Yeah I'm familiar with that one," I muttered and my mind flashed back to the hardest times I had before my mother died. I lost so much weight, I looked terrible.

"Your step-sister mentioned that the whole thing more than took its toll on you," Esme sympathised. "I can't imagine you any slimmer than you are, you must have been ill."

"I wasn't consciously trying to diet...I wanted to eat...I just couldn't. Whenever he was around I had this knot in the pit of my stomach and I couldn't manage much besides a slice of toast or soup. It was months after I moved to Seattle before I started to get my appetite back. Sufficed to say I made up for it," I tried to joke but it didn't wash with either Esme or Rose.

"I can't imagine what you went through," Rose mused. "I've had fans who get a little carried away and that was bad enough. But this...it's a disgrace that there's nothing anyone can do."

"It's worse for everyone else to be honest, Rose. I mean yeah of course it's scary, but he never actually hurts me, not physically anyway." I left out the most recent incident. "But for anyone I'm close to, he makes it his mission to terrorize them. That's why I tried to leave. I didn't want Ed..." I trailed off and bit down on my lip. I was still ashamed of how I'd acted that night, I was sure Esme had to feel a little resentment for how I'd treated her son. But, the ever sympathetic and wonderful woman she was, she moved and sat close to me.

"I'm glad you saw that you had too much to leave behind. Edward won't let anything happen to you, Bella, just let him help, that's all he wants. That's what we all want to do." She smiled kindly. "If you wanted to move out here for a month or two, you're more than welcome to stay with us. Whatever you need, Bella."

I thanked her, but it didn't feel like enough. I sat quietly and the topic digressed to the hair stylist and makeup artist that Rose had arranged for us later that afternoon.

_Oh this is the life, spending a day being pampered, having your hair done by an incredible stylist and then dancing the night away on Mr. Delicious' arm at a party with an unlimited supply of free alcohol. Then take a Limo back to this swanktastic hotel and spend the next few hours straddling Mr Delicious. Yep, sounds like heaven to me._

After the sweatfests were over, we were asked to shower down and were then escorted to yet another room. This too was like a scene from a Greek palace. The floor was a pattern of mosaic tiles which elegantly formed the initials of the hotel all twined together. More pillars and murals hugged the walls and in the center of the room were four sunken baths. Three of which were filled with mud. It actually looked gross but I slipped inside and was immediately glad I did. The tepid paste felt wonderful and I sank as low as I could, resting my head back against the soft pillow the assistant placed behind me. She then set a cool face cloth on my forehead and left.

_Oh my, how have you never done this before? God that feels almost as good as having Mr. Delicious between your legs. Mm mm, almost but not quite._

Inner-Bella was spot on, it felt incredible, and no one spoke for the next twelve minutes. I was almost disappointed when we were told to rinse off in the showers. Even the water we were showering in was mineral water. Afterwards, we had a full body massage and I could feel the stress being worked from my body. Usually I felt uncomfortable with strange people touching my bare skin like this, but on this occasion I turned off my reservations and allowed myself to go with the flow. I was so relaxed that I almost fell asleep and when we were taken to soak in the hot mineral pool I felt like I was floating.

Rosalie and Esme looked as relaxed as I did and we sat quietly, merely sipping on the lemon juice we had been encouraged to drink in order to rehydrate ourselves.

We were finished for twelve and escorted back to the changing rooms to dress. We had reservations for lunch fifteen minutes later, so I dressed quickly, simply yanking my wet hair into a bun and leaving my cleansed and flushed skin to breathe without any make-up.

While I waited for Esme and Rose to appear, I checked my phone. Seeing Edward had text made me do a little dance inside. It was strange how mundane little things like that always affected me like that.

_**We're having a few games of pool and a burger before we go and pick Caitlyn up from school. I dread to think what food you'll be eating. E x**_

I sighed, I was notoriously choosy about my food and always hated the fancy cuisine hotels like this offered. I would have liked nothing more than a hot dog or slice of pizza, but somehow I doubted that was on the menu.

I didn't get chance to reply, Esme soon appeared, closely followed by Rosalie. The restaurant, in keeping with the rest of the hotel was luxurious. The menu wasn't exactly to my taste, never in my life had I eaten a _'Stuffed Saddle of Suckling Pig',_ in fact when the waiter announced the available dishes, I had some not so pleasant pictures in my head of what exactly I was about to eat. Neither had I ever been served a _'Mango Parfait and Passion Fruit Glaze'_, the best thing about this dish was the vodka sorbet. Oh yeah it was mixed with lime, but I saw _vodka_ and forgot about the rest. I ate the lot, quite aware that tonight I would no doubt be consuming an exuberant amount of alcohol and didn't like to do it on an entirely empty stomach.

After we had eaten it was time for our manicure and pedicure. I hated people touching my feet and despite the wonderful location, today was no exception. I squirmed and flinched every time the beauty therapist tried to do anything. In the end she settled for a quick coat of blue varnish and moved away allowing someone else to paint a simple French polish onto my fingernails.

It was fast approaching half past two by the time we were done and the next round of pampering was to begin promptly at half past three. I was ordered to my room to shower and then return to Esme and Carlisle's suite within the hour.

I let myself into the room and almost fell over. It was perfect. There was a relatively large lounge area with a huge flat screen, couch, and dining table. There were French doors which opened out onto a balcony which I could see ran the length of the room. Off to the left was the bathroom, the huge bath tub was positioned near the windows and had panoramic views of the coastline. The shower was big enough for a family of four, there were several shower heads set in the walls and a bench inside.

_Note to self, take a shower with Mr. D. It would be a shame to waste that opportunity._

The counters were white marble and the sinks frosted glass. I stood in bewildered awe for a minute or so. Inner-Bella quickly caught my attention with the word;

_Bedroom?_

This I was glad I saved until last, the giant four poster bed was swathed in white drapes, the dream like decor made me feel part of a fairytale. Again, there were French doors which led out onto the same balcony and offered the same breathtaking view of the ocean. I turned back to the bed and fantasized a little.

_Yeah baby, the fun starts here tonight._

I showered quickly and made it over to Esme's suite just after three-thirty. Caitlyn was there, Edward, Emmet,m and their father had gone to Emmett and Rosalie's room to change. I was a little disappointed that I'd missed seeing Edward, but hyperactive Caitlyn was far too distracting. She was so excited she was literally bouncing off the walls like a pinball. I saw Rose having her make-up done and Esme pushed me over to another chair for someone to make a start on my hair.

Apparently, Mel Gerrard was the hottest commodity in Hollywood and anyone who was anyone wanted her doing their hair. I quickly came to realise, that the most desirable people in Hollywood, were in fact crazy. Irina was my first encounter and Mel only confirmed my suspicions. She had her hair shaved on one side, with her initials then cut into the short hair that remained. The other side was long and had been coloured fuchsia pink. I almost ran from the room as she yanked out a pair of huge scissors from her bag, but then she burst out laughing and told me she was just being an ass.

_Too right._

I let her pull, tug and back comb away. She straightened my hair and then pulled it into a high-set pony-tail, before adding a few tweaks here and there with her comb. I was lathered in hairspray and sent on my way to the make-up chair. As I was set upon by another flamboyant woman, I caught sight of my hair in her mirror. I was delighted, the style allowed for the design of the dress to be visible.

Zafrina, the makeup artist stood in front of me and cocked her head from side to side, she asked to see the dress and then nodded smugly to herself. She wasn't a woman of many words, but her work spoke volumes for her talents, when she was finished I was more than happy with the result. I hadn't been overloaded with the war paint, just a subtle hint of silver eye-shadow and black eyeliner and a light pink shade of lip gloss.

As soon as she was done Caitlyn dragged me over to the bedroom and commanded I get dressed as we only had an hour before we were leaving.

I did as I was told and pulled on the dress carefully. I put on the shoes and took my purse out of the box. As soon as I was done I took a glimpse in the mirror and for a fleeting second I didn't recognise myself. It wasn't the make-up, the dress, shoes, purse of hair that made me so different, it was the huge smile on my face-this was my old smile. The one I had before all the shit had been thrust on my life and I knew that it was back because of a certain Mr. Cullen. I turned and made for the door, still smiling.

Caitlyn looked like a little princess; her hair had been curled and pinned back. She had the faintest trace of make-up on and she was more excited than I had ever seen her.

"Aw, Mom, look at Bella isn't she pretty, you and Edward will look so cute together." She grabbed my hand and swung it excitedly.

Esme appeared and clapped her hands. She looked stunning, she had a long fishtail dress in the most amazing shade of purple. It was strapless but she had her shoulders and arms covered with an absolutely fabulous dark purple and black bolero.

Rosalie looked as beautiful as she always did, painfully beautiful if I was being honest and I began to feel anxious about the party. When Esme poured three glasses of champagne I almost snatched her hand off and drank mine back quickly. Rose laughed in response.

"Thirsty?"

I shook my head. "More like Dutch courage." I grimaced and let her top my glass up again.

"You'll be fine, Bella, trust me."

_Yeah trust her, there's free alcohol and Edward. Sorted._

We finished the bottle quickly and left the suite with ten minutes to spare. The alcohol had done little to calm my nerves and my hands were trembling. I began fidgeting, I had nothing but my tiny purse to occupy my hands.

_Edward's hand, you can hold that as soon as you get downstairs. Breathe, breathe, breathe._

As soon as we were in the elevator, my heart began to race and my chest tightened. I tried desperately to breathe steadily but I couldn't. It felt as though the elevator was barely moving and I was struggling to remain composed.

Esme seemed to notice and she put her hand on my arm gently.

"Bella, honey, are you okay?"

I smiled weakly and nodded but as soon as the doors opened I almost leapt from the elevator into the lobby. I moved away and took deep breath after deep breath to get a hold on myself. I saw Caitlyn dance away, Rose and Esme were watching me nervously. I closed my eyes and concentrated on calming down. I heard footsteps approach and I assumed it was one of them, but Edward's voice appeared softly in my ear.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He placed his hand on the nape of my neck and moved in front of me. His touch snapped me out of the attack instantaneously and I smiled.

"Just having a moment. I'm in control now though, thanks to you." I smiled.

"Are you sure? If you're stressing about the party, we don't have to go, would you rather stay here?"

I barely heard his words, I was too busy drooling at him. How I'd ever managed to land a guy like this was beyond me. Of course his hair was as messy as it always was, but everything else about him was perfect. What he had on was nothing spectacular, he wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a skinny black tie and simple black trousers and shoes. Yet he looked unbelievably sexy and I almost told him I didn't want to go out to the damn party,

_Yes let's go back upstairs and undress him, I say forfeit the party,_

"Bella?"

I had forgotten he was still waiting for my answer and shook my head. "No, really. All better now. It's just hard for me, putting myself out there, especially somewhere like this. But I promise no more break downs. Let's go have fun." I kissed him softly on his lips and pulled away quickly before I started undressing him right there in the lobby.

"Okay, but if you want to leave, just let me know. By the way you look beautiful. Actually, beautiful doesn't come close, I love the dress." He was looking at me like he did just before we usually ended up without any clothes on, so I had to break eye contact. At this rate we'd both me stark naked in the middle of the lobby, not exactly what his mother and father would want to see.

"Thank you, I could say the same for you but I doubt men like to be called beautiful?" I giggled as he agreed and walked us over to his waiting family.

No one mentioned our brief absence or my near on panic attack in the elevator. Carlisle simply suggested we head straight outside to the waiting limousine. Unfortunately, as we walked through the door I was greeted by the same valet as this morning. He darted to my side and held out his hand eagerly.

"Good evening, Miss. I was rather hoping I would get a chance to see you again. Now that I have I can tell you that you have made my night. You look stunning, Miss." His eyes lingered on my dress and I looked at Edward who was glaring at Todd.

"Um, thanks," I mumbled, highly embarrassed. I heard Rose chuckle quietly and shot her a look which clearly said, "Shut up woman."

"Please allow me to assist you into the car. Those heels look a little on the high side." Again his eyes lingered a little too long on my legs and Edward moved quickly to my side.

"Thanks, Todd, I got it." He moved his hand away roughly and helped me into the car. I rolled my eyes and scurried over allowing him to climb in afterwards.

"Friend of yours?" he growled after everyone had sat down. I heard the others snickering and sighed.

"No, of course not. He just helped us from the car when we arrived this morning." I squeezed his leg reassuringly.

"Bah, he helped Bella from the car. Your mom and I were left to fend for ourselves," Rose scoffed.

Emmett shook his head. "Not exactly what he needed to know, babe."

Edward merely nodded in response, his jaw was rigid and his hands balled into fists.

"Oh, please, tell me you're not jealous? Come on, Edward, you have thousands of women who throw themselves at you every chance they get and now you're getting your knickers in a twist over a valet?" I huffed and folded my arms tightly across my chest. "Why don' t you just take a piss on me and be done with it?"

I hadn't meant for everyone else to hear that but obviously they did, because they all stifled a laugh and even Edward snapped out of his foul mood, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.

"Well, that would stop anyone else from sniffing around you. E'au de Urine sounds like a plan to me. Do you want me to do it here or shall we wait until we get to the club?" He grinned.

"It's up to you, Caveman Cullen." I stuck my tongue out and laughed at him.

It wasn't a long ride to the club, as we approached I noticed a huge crowd of photographer's stood outside. I groaned and Edward smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Bella, I didn't think there would be this much press coverage. Do you want me to take you in the back way?"

I shook my head, I had to get used to this, if I wanted a life with Edward (and boy did I want a life with him) then I had to accept this was part and parcel of his world. "No, I'm not hiding any more right? But just make sure I don't fall over on my way in. I'd die with shame if that happened."

Esme and Carlisle hurried inside first with Caitlyn, Then Emmett, Rose, Edward and I stepped out of the car. Rose and I were flanked by the guys and I let Edward walk me past the crowds, his hand planted firmly on the small of my back. I could hear the photographers shouting him, shouting Emmett and Rose but they walked swiftly passed them and I kept my eyes kept firmly on the ground as we walked.

_Well at least your eyes are on the ground, because after the week you've had the only thing I know for certain is it will be pretty fucking hard to keep your feet on the ground._

I sensed that for as long as I had Edward in my life then keeping my feet on the ground would prove impossible.

* * *

><p><strong>See I told you the cliffie was nothing :) <strong>

**Thanks for reading, reviewing, and alerting...more tomorrow!**

**Happy Sunday,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	26. Chapter 26

**I didn't _think_ I was drunk or high when I first wrote this chapter...but reading it back makes me doubt myself! **

**Chapter 26 - Little Mermaid Theory**

**BPOV**

As soon as we were through the doors we were met by Johnny, he welcomed us all and then began explaining to the guys what the plan was for the night. Seth and Garrett appeared from behind him and unfortunately so did Arseface. She swayed her hips as she strutted towards us, looking Edward up and down before shooting me a dirty look.

_Hiiii-ya._

"Edward, my don't you look delicious."

_Oh you didn't just steal my line-one day we'll meet, Arseface, and I shall introduce you to my right hook._

She leaned into kiss him on the cheek, it was made more difficult as Edward had his arm planted around my waist, and had me pulled in as close as he could. Her usual blood-red lipstick left a smear on his cheek, and I rolled my eyes as I wiped it from his face.

"Just wait until you see who's coming. I doubt you'll get to spend much time with anyone for longer than five minutes. You guys are the star attraction tonight," she added with a smug looking glare in my direction.

Edward shrugged. "I don't particularly give a shit who's coming, Lauren, and I _do_ intend on keeping Bella right by my side." He turned away from her and began talking to Seth and Garrett.

Arseface turned on her heels and began talking to the security staff on the door about the guest list.

It was only just six-thirty, yet the room was already much busier than I'd expected, and as soon as people noticed Zeus' arrival the guys were set upon like dog's to a bone.

_I was going for like flies on shit, but I suppose your version is less crass._

I glanced around the room, recognising actors, actresses, singers and a few of those really cheap women who were just famous for being famous. There were waitresses serving glasses of champagne and taking orders for other drinks from the bar.

_Free drinks remember?_

I expected Edward to move his arm from around my waist when he was talking to the guests. But the only time he did was to hold my hand instead, I was introduced to everyone who he spoke with and I stood politely, nodding along as I watched these random people fight to see who could get their heads the farthest up Edward's arse. We spent more time with one couple than the others. I quickly realised these were the "big wigs" and I discovered that even my perfect boyfriend was able to ass-kiss as good as anyone when the time was right.

"Ah, Edward. Good to see you, boy. Damned fine job you did this year. We're certainly laughing all the way to the bank after the show you put on." A slightly older looking man and a much younger woman approached us.

He was dressed in a velvet tux and had the worst comb over I had ever seen. The woman was surprisingly not a "plastic fantastic". Despite the fact she was on the arm of a man who was more than twice her age, she seemed extremely sophisticated. Her short, dark hair was cut into a sleek bob and she wore a trace of makeup on her very pretty face. Even her clothes were elegantly chic, she wore a simple black dress which fell to just below her knees and some equally understated mid-heeled white pumps which matched her purse.

"Hello, Edward. We were lucky enough to attend your concert in Paris. It was a fantastic night." She didn't look at him the way most women did, I could see she wasn't imagining him naked, yet when she glanced at the man accompanying her, she did.

_Well whatever floats your boat I suppose. But I much prefer men ripe and delicious, rather than wilted and bald._

"Thanks, it was a pretty intense few months. Aro, Heidi, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Bella." Edward smiled at me and then inclined his head towards the others. "Bella, this is Aro and his wife, Heidi. Aro is the CEO of the record label."

"Yes of course, I saw the pictures of the two of you in the tabloids. You're an au pair correct?" Aro extended his hand and I shook it tentatively.

"Um, no actually. I...I..." I stuttered and stammered. I hated saying it how it was. _"Well, Aro, because Edward and I were seen in public together my employers fired my arse and basically implied I was a whore for getting involved with him, 'kay?"_

Luckily for me, Edward intervened before the very important guests suggested a speech therapist. "Unfortunately when those pictures came out Bella's employers didn't approve and she was asked to leave. Quite ironic really, considering it was their daughter who actually named Bella in the first place."

"Have you considered legal representation? In fact why bother? When you have a young man like this on your arm with a wallet the size of his you don't need a job like that do you?" Aro began to talk more about the benefits of having Edward as my boyfriend and insisted that women were much better off supporting their men, but his wife Heidi soon shut him up.

"Aro, have you heard yourself? You sound like a prehistoric fool. Sorry, Bella, he's a bit old-fashioned. Of course I'm sure you already noticed that. Just pay no attention and he shuts up eventually." Heidi smiled warmly.

I smiled back but didn't say much for the next ten minutes or so. Heidi as it turned out was just thirty-two. She and Aro met when she was brought in to audit the company's finances. Aro had waited for six months after the audit had finished and then attempted to charm Heidi into going to dinner. He was thirty years her senior but had eventually persuaded her to go out and that was that. I didn't see the appeal, Aro was chauvinistic, arrogant, and he wasn't a good sixty two. Say, for example, Sean Connery, he was a damn fine older man and deserved to have pretty woman snapping at his heels. Aro...yeah...not so much.

We stood talking to them for a while longer and Edward was brilliantly charming. He laughed at Aro's terrible jokes, even the ones which were directed at his beloved New York Rangers. I bit back a smile but couldn't resist raising my eyebrows at Edward every now and then and he smirked in response. After speaking with us they moved away to talk to someone else and I set about teasing Edward straight away.

"Here let me just wipe that Edward." I pulled a tissue out of my purse and dabbed the end of his nose softly. "There all clean."

Edward's hand reached for his nose instinctively, "What? Did I have something on my nose?"

"Just a little bit of weird brown stuff, but don't worry, I got it off. You look remarkably clean considering how far up his ass your face has been." I smirked at Edward who rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you work for Art, I've seen you turn on the charm when you want something. I just have to turn it on a little more with my boss. Anyway you should be supporting me remember? I think I like the Aro approach to women." His eyes lit up as he laughed and I couldn't help but smile.

We didn't get chance to talk for long, soon someone else moved over to talk to him, I glanced around the room, Emmett, Seth and Garrett were each surrounded and it took a good forty-five minutes before we were able to join Esme, Carlisle, and Caitlyn in a segregated seating area. I laughed at Caitlyn's wide-eyed expression, she was squealing with delight every time she saw someone she recognised and I pretended to be as impressed as she was.

As the champagne flowed freely, I began to feel its effects. I lay my head on Edward's shoulder and nuzzled my face into his neck.

"If I keep drinking this stuff I'll end up being carried out of here on a stretcher," I muttered but still proceeded to knock back another glass of champagne.

"Well I've yet to see you _really_ drunk, and I was wondering, if you were Drunk-Bella, would you also happen to be Inner-Bella?" He laughed as he asked me, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Mm hmm, Afraid so, I hope you're not too attached to that shirt?" I giggled.

"Rip away." He winked. "Of course I should ask you the same about the dress, but seeing as though it's the first thing you've ever let me buy you I won't be doing a damn thing to ruin it."

"I told you I didn't want you to buy it," I muttered. "I'm not with you because you can afford to buy me pretty dresses or take me to places like this."

Edward sighed, "I know you're not, I just wish you'd relax a little and let me buy you presents without making me feel like a naughty little school boy."

"When I was growing up, Mum and Phil were never well off, Edward, and they couldn't afford to buy anything close to the extravagant gifts my dad did. But it didn't matter, I liked the inexpensive things. In fact my absolute favourite present I got for my ninth birthday, and it was a small frosted glass jewellery box. When you lifted the lid, there was a small mirror on the bottom with a magnetic swan on top. When you wound the key up, it would play Swan Lake and the little swan would move about on the mirror. I loved it, it was my most cherished possession and I kept it for years. I think it cost my mum about eight pounds." I sighed.

"So I can buy you cheap little knickknacks?" he asked expectantly. I didn't say anything; I just sighed and rolled my eyes in agreement. "Right then, I will. Do you still have it? The jewellery box I mean, I can't remember seeing it in the apartment." Edward was running his fingers up and down my arms lazily as he spoke.

"No, it was one of many things that went missing before Mum died, most of the stuff wasn't anything important...but that really was," I trailed off sadly. "James."

"He stole it?" Edward shook his head. "Bastard."

_Helloooo party remember? Free alcohol, socializing with celebs and then engaging in a straddling marathon with Mr. D. Stop being morbid and smile a little, eh?_

I laughed once, Inner-Bella was right. "My God, Edward, look at us, this is a party and I'm depressing you. I'm depressing both of us."

Edward smiled, and said "Come on let's get another drink?"

I nodded quickly and instead of waving down a waitress, he stood and pulled me with him. "Enough with the Champagne, I want a real drink." We made for the bar but as soon as he was back on the main floor, yet more arse-kissers accosted him.

As I stood with him I scanned the room, it was bustling with famous faces. All the women were thin and gorgeous and if I hadn't been here with the most perfect creature on the planet, I would have said all the men were sexy as hell too. With all these pretty people about, anyone with any kinks in their confidence would feel paranoid and out-of-place. Including me.

I still felt like an impersonator, trying to be someone so far away from what I really was. Even though I had Edward's hand tightly holding mine introducing me to everyone as his girlfriend, and shooting me the most loving looks I had ever seen, I still felt like I'd bewitched him somehow. In fact, my crazy mind had come up with its own scenario which weirdly involved _The Little Mermaid_.

_Little Mermaid? Wow you need to explain this one really well or I'm having you committed right now._

Okay, so in _The Little Mermaid_ Ariel falls in love with Prince Eric. In a desperate attempt to get her man, Ariel visits crazy, sea squid, Ursula who gives Ariel legs in exchange for her voice, naturally she was expecting her to fail. BUT Ariel still manages to make Eric begin to fall in love with her, so along comes Ursula, no longer a big fat squid, but a pretty girl who _enchants_ Eric to thinking he actually loves her. Cue Bella.

I know it was the most insane thing to think, but imagine how I felt? I was just a regular girl, living in a rundown apartment working two mundane jobs when the most amazing man walked into my life and changed it forever. What right did I have to someone like Edward?

_I don't know what's more worrying, the fact that you're comparing yourself to an overweight squid with magical powers and really bad hair, or that I can see your point._

To me it made sense.

I saw Edward looking at me with a smirk on his face. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Conversing with your inner voices again? I can always tell, your face is so cute. Tell me?"

_You need to work on your poker face. For the love of God don't tell him this._

I shook my head dismissively, but he pouted and turned on the Puss-In-Boots eyes, of course I caved just a few seconds later. "Well, if you must know we were discussing _The Little Mermaid_." I huffed.

Edward raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Are you feeling okay?"

"You shouldn't have asked. I told you I was a lunatic," I scalded.

"I should certainly have taken you for a psychiatric evaluation before I fell in love with you." I rolled my eyes as he continued, "But I suppose hindsight's a wonderful thing, it's too late now."

"Well then I guess you're stuck with me." I smiled.

He went to say something else, but yet another member of the _I heart E.C_ fan club appeared in front of us and Edward turned to listen to him. I needed to go to the bathroom so I excused myself.

"Stop at the bar on your way back and bring drinks, lots and lots of drinks. I doubt I'll have moved far." He sighed and continued to mingle politely.

I squeezed my way through the crowds and finally made it to the bathroom. It was busy but there were more than enough cubicles. I found an empty one at the far end of the room and locked the door. I was just about to leave when I heard a couple of girls talking outside the stall.

"It's a good party, don't you think?" I did recognise the voice, but couldn't place it.

"Yeah, totally. Of course it would be even better if the best looking guys in the room didn't have their girlfriend's glued to their side every minute." Another girl spoke and again I recognised the voice vaguely.

"Hey I can't blame them, with you in the same room, no man is safe." The other girl laughed shrilly.

Damn, who were they? I was sure I knew their voices. I tried to peep through the tiny gap in the door but couldn't see a thing.

"Anyway Amber, did you have your eye on anyone in particular?" the girl continued.

"Well it wouldn't be right if I didn't make a play for at least one of the guys from Zeus right?" she replied with a cocky laugh. "Unfortunately, Emmett seems to be back with that old chick, Rosalie Hale, I'd do any of the other three though."

_Grrrrrrrrrrr!_

"You mean the other two, Amber? Edward Cullen's here with his girlfriend or didn't you notice? Not that it matters, Tanya has set her sights on him again...there could be fireworks later."

_Oh hell no, she needs to keep her sights off Mr. D. _

"Fireworks? Why?" Amber asked.

"I told you she's seriously pissed, because Irina sold the dress she liked to someone else, then Edward turns up with the new girl and she's only wearing Tan's dress."

"Definitely going to be fireworks," Amber giggled. "Let's not stray too far from Tanya then...we'll get front row seats. Do you think she can?"

"Get him back? Sure, it's probably going to be an easy victory for her, I mean who the hell is that he's brought with him?"

I listened as they began to bitch about me. I was everything from a rich chick, to a fame hungry whore who was using Edward to get my foot on the fame ladder. It appeared they were in no rush to leave the bathroom so I took a deep breath and opened the door. I saw them recognise me instantly and they glanced at each other nervously. I washed my hands and felt their eyes on me through the mirror.

"Hello, you're here with Edward Cullen, right?" The brunette who I recognised as Jessica Stanley, asked politely.

She and the other girl, Amber were actresses and I think they worked with Tanya Denali on a daytime soap a few years ago. Apparently she was trying to make conversation in the hope I hadn't heard her bitching about me a few minutes earlier.

"Yes." I moved to dry my hands and the other girl, Amber, spoke.

"So are you two pretty serious?"

"I guess so." I paused before I left. "Well as serious as I can be considering I'm just a fame hungry whore, right? Tell Tanya this dress is amazing! It's such a shame she didn't get it first." I saw their eyes widen and I marched past them and out of the door.

I was angry and upset at the same time, but I was also damn proud of the way I'd handled myself.

_Now to deal with the other slut._

I went straight to the bar and ordered drinks for Edward and I. As soon as I had been served I turned away and looked for Edward in amongst the crowd. Of course he stood out straight away. With his sexy, wild hair, I picked him out in a matter of seconds. My heart peaked as it always did whenever I saw him, but then it quickly sank as I saw who he was talking to now. Petite, beautiful strawberry blond hair curled down her back, and of course a perfect face.

_Tanya, I used to fuck Mr. Delicious before you, Denali. She certainly moves fast, go and interrupt them before she tries to straddle him right there on the floor._

Edward was standing with his arms folded tightly across his chest, his eyes were strained and he didn't look happy to be in her company at all. Tanya on the other hand, was flicking her hair and smiling, she moved one of her hands and placed it lightly on Edward's arm. I saw him shrug away and he stepped back. I hesitated before sitting back down at the bar again.

_What are you doing? Get your arse over there and take her down!_

I wasn't going to be _that_ girlfriend; the one who caused a scene in a place like this, just because her boyfriend happened to be talking to an ex. Because I trusted him implicitly, I would wait for them to finish talking and then we would carry on enjoying the party. I sank my Vodka quickly and then decided to drink Edward's whisky too. I was just about to set the empty glass down on the bar when someone sat down beside me.

"I'd ask if you were enjoying the party but given the fact you're sitting at the bar alone, I'd guess your answer would be no?" Seth was smiling as he spoke.

"Oh, I wasn't alone, Seth." I laughed. "I was just having a one to one with my good friend Jack." I wiggled the empty glass at him and then put it down.

Seth laughed too and then turned to look in Edward's direction before looking back at me, a knowing smile on his face. "Are you hiding over here because of Tanya?"

I shook my head and then nodded. "No and yes. No, I'm not hiding, but yes, I saw them talking and didn't want to interrupt. I'm not sulking, Seth, and I'm not going to cause a scene or pick a fight with him if that's what you were thinking."

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of you picking a fight with her. That would be hot." He winked and laughed. "Want another drink? My round."

I rolled my eyes and asked him for the same again.

We were only sitting there for a few minutes when Edward appeared beside me. "Bella, where did you go?"

"I came to the bar for our drinks and then waited here for you. I saw you talking to Tanya and didn't like to interrupt." I smiled at him and caught Seth sliding away quietly.

"I would have liked you to interrupt," he grumbled. "I wanted to introduce you."

"Would you like me to introduce you to any of my ex-boyfriends? Granted one of them is a psycho, and Jake would probably run for his life screaming if he saw me again." I waited for his answer with a smirk on my face.

"Mm mm, I suppose your right, if I met either of those guys I'd end up being arrested for assault. Obviously I would love to get my hands on James for everything he's done. As for Jake, well he was an ass for ever letting you go. I would be willing to bet if he saw you tonight, or any other day for that matter, he'd regret it." Edward moved as close to me as he could. "You aren't upset about Tanya, right?"

I shook my head. "No, not upset, honestly, but I can't say I wasn't jealous...she's lucky she still has her hand after she touched your arm. I very nearly did a Matrix style move across the room when she did that."

Edward laughed. "That would have been worth seeing. But, for the record, you have absolutely nothing to be jealous about."

"What did she want?" I asked casually, but the green-eyed monster was still trying to escape and I heard how _un-casual_ I sounded.

Edward paused, "It was embarassing...she tried to apologize for her behaviour when we were together and asked if we give things another try. I told her she was crazy, and said I was in love with you. She threwa tantrum about you stealing her dress and said I was just being stubborn. I don't think her mood improved much after I told her you and I were living together." He kissed my cheek after he finished and then laughed. "She went nuts and stormed off. It was quite amusing actually."

I decided not to mention my encounter in the bathroom. Not here anyway. He was in a good mood and I didn't want to ruin that, this was his party after all. We stayed at the bar for a while, Edward ordered a selection of cocktails and shots which we polished off rather quickly and that left me feeling very unsteady.

I couldn't resist kissing him, even though I was well aware everyone was watching him and the rest of the guys closely. It probably _was_ a little full on for a public place, party or no party, but I didn't care. Edward didn't appear to either, as when I did pull away, he scowled.

"I was quite enjoying that." He pouted.

"Good, there's plenty more where that came from."

Edward's parents took Caitlyn back to the hotel around ten thirty and we were left to continue to mingle with more guests. As I was drunk, I kept quiet while they spoke to Edward. I didn't want to embarrass myself by slurring or saying something inappropriate. I could see that Emmett, Seth, and Garrett were all tiring of the attention. Emmett was using Rose as his exit strategy, pretending he had to talk to her and dragging her away from his admirers. During a rare free minute we were sitting with Garrett who was exasperated.

"Remind me again why we're here?" he moaned.

"To see who walks away with the cleanest ass of course." Edward laughed and slapped his friends back.

"Aro, I'd say. Honestly Garrett, Edward was almost giving him colonic irrigation with his tongue when we were talking to him," I teased and Garrett laughed.

"That isn't a nice visual," he said. "Edward, it's obvious you and Bella have had enough time to yourself to get a few drinks down your neck. I've barely had time to take a piss." He looked at Edward scowling. "How did you manage that?"

"Ah, that's all because of Bella. The women gave up trying to talk to me because they know I won't look twice at them and the men steer clear because they know I'll punch them for staring at her." He winked at me and laughed again.

"I need a drink, all this free alcohol and I'm stone-cold sober." Garrett waved to a waiter who was still serving glasses of champagne.

"I doubt there's much left, Garrett. I'm sure Bella's drunk the bar dry." He saw me shoot him a dirty look and immediately tried to defend his comment. "What? I think it's impressive, I would have thought with the amount you've drunk you would have been on your back by now."

I raised my eyebrows suggestively. "I'd rather hoped I would be as a matter of fact." Then I laughed at his expression.

_We much prefer Mr. D on his back, so we can straddle._

"Right, that's my cue to leave, I don't need to hear innuendo about your sex life, thank you very much." Garrett smiled and stood. "You guys' heading back to the city?"

Edward nodded. "On Sunday. Bella's working at Art's, so we can shoot a few racks of pool if you like? My babysitting shift starts at seven."

I glared at him again, but he just laughed as Garrett walked away. "Sorry, I was only joking."

"Well we can deal with that comment later. Right now we need to address the other point you made." I giggled and he looked at me in confusion. "Something about me being flat on my back?" I murmured seductively and kissed behind his ear softly.

Edward stood quickly and snatched up my hand. "Let's go."

As we said goodbye to Seth, Johnny, and unfortunately Arseface, Rose and Emmett said they'd ride back with us.

_No, we can't straddle Mr. D in the limo if they're with us. Damn it._

Of course, when we left the club we had to deal with the photographers who were still waiting patiently outside for anyone coming and going. Even drunk, I felt anxious, but Edward buried my head into his chest and walked me quickly to the waiting car.

Once inside I relaxed and nestled into Edwards arms. Emmett and Rosalie were laughing at us all making a quick exit from the party before eleven.

"Seriously dude, we should just get a pair of slippers and a pipe and be done with it," Emmett joked.

Remembering my earlier thoughts about _The Little Mermaid_, I giggled. "You mean a snarfblatt." I cringed when I realised I said it out loud, Rosalie, Emmett and Edward all looked at me and waited for me to elaborate. "Um...snarfblatt...you know in the _Little Mermaid_, well that's what Scuttle...the bird...calls a pipe."

Rosalie and Emmett exchanged looks but said nothing.

"You were talking about that earlier. What's the obsession with that cartoon?" Edward was smiling, he obviously thought it would be an amusing story.

_Amusing? No. Concerning? Yes! _

I shook my head and refused to say any more, but once again he turned on the Puss-In-Boots eyes and of course I folded. "You'll think I'm officially insane."

"I already know that," he said. "Please?"

"Fine...but I warned you." I sighed. "I may, or may not, have used _The Little Mermaid_ to make sense of one or two aspects in my life right now."

"Okay..." Edward frowned. "Keep going."

_Do not keep going. She's the crazy one, Mr. D, help me escape?_

"Well, I feel like I have a lot in common with one or two of the characters. I may even have incorporated you into my little role-play scenario." I looked away from him as his frown intensified.

"Bro, your girlfriend's comparing you to a bunch of scaly fish folk. Nice analogy, Bella." Emmett laughed hard and I sighed.

"No Emmett, you idiot. Edward would be Prince Eric, right, Bella? And you would be Ariel?" Rosalie corrected. Weirdly she saw sense in this somewhere. When she saw me grimace however, she rolled her eyes and laughed along with Emmett. "Who then?"

Edward was more than a little frustrated. "What are they laughing at? What on earth are you getting at with this, Bella?"

I groaned, "Have you actually seen The Little Mermaid?"

"Yeah...with Caitlyn." He nodded, and I continued reluctantly. "Well, I can't fathom why you're so interested in me. It reminded me of that enchantment spell that the fake Ariel uses on Prince Eric. She uses Ariel's voice in that seashell to bewitch Eric. Remember the sea shell she wears around her neck? The fake Ariel is actually Ursula." Rose was still laughing her ass off and I huffed in embarrassment.

"Ursula? That fat octopus?" he groaned. "You're not seriously comparing yourself to that are you?

Emmett was roaring with laughter. He barely managed to choke out a quick. "Bella, you're fucking nuts," before he started again.

"She's not actually an octopus; she doesn't have eight tentacles for a start..maybe a squid? But anyway, yes, I am saying I would take on her role in this weird little thing I've created-which by the way, I am regretting telling you about. It didn't seem this insane when I was thinking it inside my own head." I was mortified. This wasn't a conversation I should be having with Edward, in the company of his brother and Rose.

_Actually, this isn't a conversation you should be having with anyone besides a mental health professional; someone who is bound by doctor-patient confidentiality._

"Bella honey, you aren't anything like Ursula. You aren't fat, you don't have grey hair, and I would hope you don't have any tentacles concealed on your body anywhere." Rose was trying her best to reassure me, but I could see she was dying to laugh and I started to get annoyed.

"I wasn't saying that, of course I know I'm not a fucking squid. Shit, I should have kept my mouth shut." I sat up and crossed my arms across my chest. I was feeling like a complete idiot.

"Bella, ignore those two." Edward shot his brother a glare while his booming laughter continued to shake the limo. "You don't have any weird hold on me, it's as simple as I love you. If you insist on keeping this strange Little Mermaid thing going, then I really think you should at least take on Ariel's character. She's definitely hotter than the fat squid." Even Edward sniggered at this and I shook my head. He took my hand and we sat in relative silence all the way back to the hotel. I felt ridiculous.

After we were out of the car, Edward took me for a walk around the gardens. Once we were completely alone he stopped and held my face in his hands. "Look, Bella, you shouldn't second guess yourself all the time. I love every little thing about you and everyone else sees it too. No one thinks you have a hold on me, no one who matters anyway." He kissed me softly. "I don't care if you're a nanny, a bartender, a rich man's daughter, or if you became a celebrity tomorrow. I don't even care that you have a creep who follows your every move."

"And you said I was nuts." I smiled. "I did think about it in the car, you know being Ariel, I sympathised with her too. I mean even though Ursula gives her legs, it doesn't make her a human does it? I mean she combs her hair with a dinner fork for god's sake." I began to continue to try and justify my crazy line of thought, well aware I was probably making everything worse. But Edward clamped his hand over my mouth.

"For the record, Em called you nuts. Although, I can see his point. I mean, you did compare our relationship to that of a mermaid, a prince, and a squid." He had a very pronounced smirk on his face. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"Look, I'm drunk so it's probably for the best if you ignore everything I say tonight. But for the record, you're not so perfect yourself, Mr. Cullen." I huffed.

He kissed me again, "I'm not?" he murmured against my lips. "Explain how I'm not perfect."

"Well, you act like a dog guarding a bone, I heard you _growl_ at that valet earlier, Edward. You have no need to get jealous of random guys who try and flirt with me. I should be the jealous one, you do, after all, have thousands of crazy-ass fans who launch dirty underwear at you at every given opportunity."

"That's it?" Edward considered, still softly kissing my lips, cheek and neck. "If that's my only flaw then I'm more than happy."

I snorted in protest. "Well that, and you insist on paying my way all the time. Like the whole shopping trip incident." I racked my brains trying to come up with something else but I was struggling and Edward knew it.

"So, you're saying that my imperfections are...me getting a little jealous of men who eye-fuck my beautiful girlfriend and that I love to spoil you?" His fingers lightly traced my sides up and down before returning to hold my face. "I don't think you'd find many people who would sympathise with you there, Bella."

"I suppose you're right." I kissed him back. "Edward?"

"Mmmm?"

"I was rather hoping you'd have me on my back by now." I giggled as he moaned and towed me straight back into the hotel.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D**

**I promise I'm not crazy, drunk, or high...nor am I a Squid ;) **

**More tomorrow...**

**xxx**


	27. Chapter 27

**So maybe I'm not the only crazy one out there...lol **

**Chapter 27 And so it begins**

**BPOV**

I felt like death before I even opened my eyes. The room was spinning and I honestly thought my head was about to explode. I groaned loudly, the noise made the headache even worse, and I heard a chuckle beside me. I tentatively peeked open one eye and saw Edward smiling at me.

"I'd ask how you're feeling, but I guess I don't need to."

I nodded slightly. "It feels like I'm sitting on a record player. In fact, there's a strong possibility that I'm still drunk." I sat up as slowly as I could and rested my head on my knees, praying that I wouldn't throw up.

I felt Edward brush his lips up and down my bare back and it almost made me forget about my hangover.

_Almost, but even Mr. D's lips aren't that powerful._

"I arranged to have breakfast with the others at nine thirty; I can cancel if you like? I don't mind." He moved and kissed my shoulder, waiting for my answer.

I shook my head infinitesimally. "No, not on my account. I think today will be one of those rare occasions that I need to drink a strong black coffee, irrespective of the taste. Remind me again why we drink?"

Edward laughed. "For the record, I _adore_ Drunk-Bella. Thanks to her I finally got to meet Inner-Bella in person."

I closed my eyes, experiencing a flashback of Inner Bella really let loose. The flashback involved tackling Edward onto the bed, ripping his shirt from his back, and of course straddling.

_Yeah, you're done for now prude. Edward's a fan of the rough lovin'._

"Mm, well you might be waiting a while to meet her again. I swear to God I'm never drinking again." I slowly got out of bed and staggered to the bathroom, pulling on Edward's torn shirt which hung on the edge of the bed. "I'm just going to attempt to get ready."

I splashed some cold water on my face and tried to brush my teeth, but with the toothbrush just centimeters inside my mouth I found myself retching. I shamefully, didn't even attempt to comb my hair. I just pulled up the tangled, limp, mop into a bun and wandered out of the bathroom to get dressed. Edward was waiting by the door, he held out a cup of something that was fizzing furiously and I scowled at him.

"Just drink it quickly. Trust me, you'll feel better if you do." He thrust the cup at me and waited for me to drink.

It tasted of lemon and it almost made me throw up, but somehow I managed to keep it down and handed it back to him with a grimace. "That was disgusting. You'd better hope that works, Cullen."

I barely even noticed what I dressed in. Jeans possibly...maybe a skirt? I kept the important body parts covered and beyond that I couldn't care less. All the while I was watched by Edward who had the biggest smirk on his face I'd seen.

_He wasn't smirking last night though was he? He should be more supportive or we'll never get the opportunity to play together again._

I couldn't even attempt to make conversation, the walking, the swaying and then the jolting of the elevator was more than my fragile stomach could handle and I made a darting trip to the bathroom as soon as we arrived in the lobby.

_Nice Bella, you visit a luxury hotel and puke your guts up in the toilets._

Edward waited outside the door and the smirk was gone when I emerged outside. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I feel slightly better now actually. Was that the plan with that crap you made me drink? Was I supposed to throw up?"

"Actually no, but if you feel better, I guess it doesn't matter. Do you want to head back upstairs?" He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my head.

_Steer clear of the mouth, Mr. D, we need some breath mints as a matter of urgency._

"No, like I said, I need a strong, black coffee. I'll just apologize in advance for my unsociable behaviour." I let him take some of my weight as we walked over to the huge dining room.

We were the last ones to arrive. I searched desperately for a sign that someone else felt remotely close to how I did, but Esme, Carlisle, and Caitlyn were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as the phrase goes. They looked over and smiled, even Rose and Emmett somehow managed to look as perfect as always.

_Well, what do you expect? Esme and Carlisle took Caitlyn home early so they won't be suffering. As for Rose, well she's just a freak of nature. I doubt she'd ever look anything less than perfect, even if she came out in hives._

The smell of all the different food being served turned my stomach again and I took a deep breath to try to steady it. As we sat down I heard a few chuckles at my very obvious fragility.

"Morning, Ursula," Emmett joked. "Feeling a little worse for wear?"

I nodded but didn't say anything.

"That, Caitlyn, is why you shouldn't drink," Edward teased as he poured us both a cup of coffee.

"I didn't realize undersea creatures needed to worry about hangovers." Rosalie laughed. Edward's parents were obviously clueless about the conversation which had taken place last night and I didn't enlighten them.

"Ha, ha, very funny," I muttered and forced some of the coffee down my throat. It didn't taste pleasant, but I was ready to try anything. However, if I thought I felt bad then, it was nothing compared to how I felt when the food was brought to the table.

"You should try and eat something, Bella," Edward whispered in my ear.

I couldn't even think about it, watching Emmett tackle the pile of food on his plate like he had never been fed made it worse. I looked away and just to appease Edward, I sat and picked at a slice of toast.

I remained quiet as the others chatted away. Caitlyn was the main voice of course. She couldn't wait for Monday at school so she could tell all her friends about some of the people she met.

"What are you guys doing tonight?" Rose asked Edward after Caitlyn had stopped talking long enough for anyone else to get a word in.

"Well, I had a few things planned but I doubt Bella's going to feel like doing much today. We'll probably end up having dinner here in the hotel and fly back to New York tomorrow morning." Edward sat back in his chair and held my hand on top of the table.

"Can we have dinner here too, Mom?" Caitlyn screeched. "It would be so much fun to hang out with you guys for the rest of the day. We can still go home tonight. Can we? Please, Mom, Dad, _please_." She clapped her hands as Esme agreed it was a nice idea.

Carlisle, Emmett and Rose were all as enthusiastic, but Edward fell quiet beside me and just smiled weakly.

After everyone finished eating, drinking, and teasing me about my hangover, we all made moves to leave. Rose and Emmett decided to take a walk outside, Caitlyn was pestering to come with us to our room but Esme refused.

"Caitlyn, leave Bella alone for a few hours sweetie. She's not feeling well. You can see her later, okay?" Esme shot us an apologetic look and dragged an unhappy Caitlyn outside to follow Emmett and Rose.

"Well, so much for a nice night to ourselves," Edward muttered in the elevator.

"We'll have the rest of the night. It's just dinner." I put my arms around his neck and played with the few hairs which hung down.

"I suppose, but I had a nice night planned for us. That didn't include dealing with Caitlyn for another nine hours." He stuck out his bottom lip and sighed. "Do you want to go back to bed?"

"Yeah, but I need a shower first and I have to brush my teeth. It might be a good idea if you joined me. I doubt I could manage to stand up without your help." I winked and laughed, before pushing him back against the wall of the elevator. I heard a little moan escape his lips as I brushed my hand over the rapidly growing bulge in his jeans.

The elevator stopped at our floor and the doors opened as Edward was still trying to adjust himself. An elderly man and woman were waiting and the woman's eyes dropped to see what he was doing with his hands. She looked at us in disgust as she realized what Edward's problem was.

"Marvellous. Someone's Granny has just seen me manhandling myself in a public place." He looked embarrassed, but I thought it was hilarious.

"I bet it sent her lady parts into frenzy. Old woman or not, you have that effect on anybody."

Edward pulled a face. "I'd rather not think about that. Anyway, the only person I care about having that effect on is you." He moved to kiss me but I turned my face so his lips landed on my cheek.

"Not until I've brushed my teeth. Are you joining me?" I didn't have to wait long for his answer; he picked me up and ran us into the bathroom.

Sex, showers, and more sex, as it turned out, were a fantastic remedy for hangovers. We didn't emerge from the bedroom for several hours and when we did, we only made it as far as the couch. We sprawled out casually with the television on in the background and I could feel him looking at me and it unnerved me a little.

"What?" I hissed.

"I was just sulking about tonight. I told you I had some plans for us," he grumbled.

"What were the plans?" I asked.

"Doesn't really matter now, does it?" He sighed.

"Aw, don't be like that...tell me?" I pouted and he smiled.

"Well...I suppose I could make it work..." He nodded to himself and said, "Okay, well first we would have a romantic meal, just the two of us in the restaurant downstairs. Then we would take a walk outside, again just the two of us. I had something I wanted to give to you." He looked a little wistful and it caught my attention.

"Oh yeah, what did you want to give me?" I asked suggestively.

"You and your one track mind." He rolled his eyes. "Actually I bought you something in London and I've been waiting to give it to you for ages."

"Why don't you just give it to me now?" I was still being suggestive and wasn't really paying attention to what he'd said. When he didn't respond I tried a different approach. "Okay, so let's imagine we have just had a romantic meal, alone. Then you ask me to take a walk outside, alone. What were you about to give me?"

Edward smiled, seemingly pleased with this scenario. "Well, I would have to stop walking first, then I'd need to get it out of my pocket and it would probably be more conventional if I got dow..."

There was a loud knock, knock, knock at the door, instantly followed by Caitlyn's voice. "Are you guys in there?"

"For fucks sake," Edward muttered, he moved away and stuffed his hand back into his pocket on his way over to the door. "Every goddamn time."

"Oh you're awake, Bella. Hope you're feeling better? I wondered if you wanted to come for a swim in the pool downstairs?" Caitlyn asked.

"No," Edward growled. "Go away."

"Don't be an ass, Edward," Caitlyn said, and plonked herself down next to me. "Oh, I love this film. Can I watch it with you, Bella? It's only just started right?"

I nodded-anything to get out of going swimming. Edward sighed and sat back down. I didn't get to hear the rest of his plans, and as Caitlyn was sitting between us oblivious to Edward's worsening mood, I couldn't even use sex to try and cheer him up.

We finally managed to get rid of Caitlyn at about five thirty. We were meeting for dinner at seven, so by the time I dressed and tidied up my hair it was almost time to leave.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked as he sat on the bed waiting for me to finish. "You've been quiet all afternoon."

"I just get tired of having to share you with my sister. I think it was better when she hated the girls I brought home. At least then I didn't have to worry about her interrupting all the time." He shrugged and managed a half-smile.

"Oh yeah, you were telling me about that present, right? Go on then, carry on." I encouraged but he shook his head.

"Nah, nothing important. Let's go downstairs now. We might manage to get a drink alone before dinner." He stood and walked out of the bedroom, clearly he was still sulking about something.

_Wow, is he having his period?_

Unfortunately, his mood didn't improve, because we never got to have that drink alone. Rose and Emmett were already downstairs in the bar and only a few short minutes later we were joined by Edward's parents and sister. I was feeling much better, but I still didn't trust my stomach with anything heavy, so when we ordered I went for soup. I ate as much as I could; I even managed a piece of bread too. I was definitely chattier than I was at breakfast and even Edward's mood picked up a little as the evening progressed.

It was actually a really nice meal and we all waited at the table for Caitlyn to finish her dessert. Of course Emmett and Rose continued to drop remarks about The Little Mermaid and all things related. I returned each comment with a dirty look but laughed afterwards.

"Excuse me, Miss Swan?" I looked up to see four men standing beside the table, each dressed in a black Tuxedo and one was holding a box in front of him. I nodded nervously.

"This is a gift from that special someone in your life." He winked at Edward and then to my absolute horror the four men started to sing.

_This is his gift? Does he not know you at all?_

I was beyond embarrassed, the entire restaurant stopped eating and talking and turned to look in our direction. I didn't listen to what the men were singing and I couldn't look at Edward. Surely he knew me better than to do something like this?

The box that the lead singer was holding was put down on the table in front of me. I picked it up, opened it and two things happened simultaneously. I saw the blood-red roses inside the box and I recognized the song the men were singing.

_It's been seven hours and fifteen days,_

_Since you took your love away._

_I go out every night and sleep all day,_

_Since you took your love away._

_Since you've been gone I can do whatever I want,_

_I can see whomever I choose._

_I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant,_

_But nothing, __I said nothing can take away these blues._

_'Cause nothing compares,_

_Nothing compares to you..._

My blood turned to ice, my heart raced, and I felt my palms begin to sweat. I looked at the flowers and saw the card staring back up at me. I dropped the box and looked at Edward, who was staring at me in confusion. It only took him a few seconds to recognize the terror on my face and he snatched the box away and turned towards the quartet who were still singing.

"I'm sorry, but I never arranged this. There must be some kind of mistake." He stood, pulled some money out of his pocket, and handed it to one of the men. "I really need you to leave now." He glanced around the room quickly before sitting back down. "Bella, it's from him right?" He took my hand and rubbed it soothingly. I could only manage a nod.

Esme stood and picked up the box. She opened it and took out the card.

"It'll say _'Forever'_. That's all they ever say." I mumbled and saw her nod sadly before sitting back down.

"Edward, get Bella upstairs. I'll go and see the manager. Maybe he can tell us who ordered this." Carlisle stood up and strode away.

"Come on, Bella, let's go." Edward pulled me to my feet and waved over to Peter who was lingering in the corner of the restaurant. He nodded and was at our side in a flash. "He's here...somewhere," Edward told him, his eyes scanning the room as he spoke.

"I can check the grounds, but I'd prefer to stay with you, Sir. Air on the side of caution." He waited for Edward to acknowledge. "Once you are in your suite I can take a look?"

"Sure. He's probably long gone," Edward said quietly, and walked us away from the table and the other guests who were watching the scene unfold curiously.

Emmett kept Caitlyn close against him, his expression strained as he too, looked anxiously around the lobby as we waited for the elevator. I shrank against Edward's side as we rode up to our floor.

I knew that James had found me in New York, it was Edward's plan that he knew we were in LA together, but how the hell he found out the hotel we were staying in and the time we had dinner reservations was beyond me. If he managed to find that out as quickly as he did, what else could he have found out? What else would he do?

"Bella, we'll take a flight back to the city tonight. Unless you'd rather stay here in LA?" Edward held me tightly.

"No, we're alone in New York. It might be better if I stayed away from Caitlyn," I whispered and he nodded.

"We'll get our stuff together and then drive straight back to the house. Don't worry, Bella, please don't worry. I won't let him near you, I swear to God." Edward didn't loosen his hold when he spoke.

The others rode with us in silence. Edward asked Emmett and Rose to go with his mother and sister and wait with them until his father came back. They agreed and got off the elevator, each shooting me sympathetic smiles. Peter would remain in the corridor between our rooms, making sure James wasn't anywhere on the floor...watching...waiting.

As soon as we were alone, Edward proceeded to kiss my hair over and over, desperately trying to reassure me that everything was okay. But it wasn't.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. This is what he does...he...messes with my head...ruins special occasions. You shouldn't have to deal with this. I..."

Edward cut me off abruptly. "Stop that, Bella, you don't apologize for him do you hear me?"

I nodded and bit my lip, fighting back the tears that were screaming to get out. I was relieved that the floor was deserted as we walked slowly to our room, because I couldn't stop my hands from trembling and I was fighting so hard to keep the brewing panic attack away I couldn't manage more than a few words. I kept a tight hold of Edward and let him plan our escape back to the city.

He began to speak as he opened the door to the suite however, just as he stepped through the threshold he stopped dead and swore. I peeked around him and my heart sank. On the couch, in the middle of our room there was another huge bouquet of roses, with a card placed beside them.

"Peter," Edward called out loudly. "He's been here...there are flowers."

Edward marched us straight over to the bedroom without as much as a second glance at them and Peter was behind us in an instant. I braced myself, because I knew he wouldn't come to our room just to leave flowers.

"What the fuck...Jesus," Edward croaked.

The bedroom was unrecognisable. The drapes, pillows, and sheets had been butchered for lack of a better word. There was material all over the floor, and feathers everywhere.

Also, among the carnage I saw something else. Pieces of blue fabric, blue chiffon and lace...my dress. As I scanned the room I noticed it wasn't just my new dress, there was torn up clothing scattered on the floor, the bed, and the vanity table. Edward realised at the same time as I did, and he opened the door to the closet.

"He did that to your fucking clothes? Jesus Christ." I jumped as he slammed the wardrobe doors, I could see the veins in his neck bulging and he had his fists clenched tightly shut. He took a few deep breaths and then picked up his phone.

"Mom, he's been in our room. All of her clothes are...torn...I mean _everything_ is ruined. Her dress, all her pants, shirts, and underwear. Are you guys okay?" I heard Esme reassure him they were fine, and he sighed in relief. "Good. Just wait for us, and we can go back downstairs together and head straight home, okay?" He put his phone in his pocket and moved to stand in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I can't believe... Please tell me what to do?"

I shrugged, every part of me screaming to get as far away from here as possible. "Don't shut me out, Bella, not again. Talk to me, please, baby," he begged and the fear in his voice startled me.

"I won't, Edward, I promise. I'm just...so fucking scared..." Tears rolled down my face and he pulled me into a tight hug.

"I won't let him hurt you," he whispered.

"I'm not scared for me...I'm scared of what he might do to you-"

"He won't get close to either of us, I swear to God."

It took Edward just a few minutes to gather all of his things. After he discovered my make-up, shampoos, and other toiletries were now all over the bathroom floor he began swearing and slamming doors again. Thankfully, ever the Boy Scout, he had locked my purse in the safe, so my credit cards, ID, and other personal effects were untouched.

I had a quick look around the room, it seemed so perfect this time yesterday, yet now I hated it. I couldn't wait to be gone and back in Edward's apartment...back home.

"Bella, God are you okay? Do you need any clothes? I can lend you anything you need." Rose yanked me into a big hug as we met them at their suite.

"I'm good thanks, Rose. I'll be home soon and I can manage in these until then." I thanked her and stepped back to Edward's side. Having his arm around me, or his hand in mine comforted me.

Carlisle met us in the lobby, his expression didn't make me optimistic he'd discovered anything useful.

"Dad, what did they say?" Edward asked, and I could hear the tension in his voice.

"The quartet is part of the hotel's entertainment staff. They pick their orders up from the booking forms any guests leave. No one saw who made the booking for Bella but it's logged in the book, they're trying to make sense of it." Carlisle looked at me briefly. "Sorry, Bella."

I shrugged; James would have covered all his bases. He always did. He was so good at keeping hidden, miles better than I had ever been. If he didn't want to be found, then he wouldn't be. Simple as that.

"Bella, just wait here a minute please." Edward unwrapped his arm from around my waist and strode over to the reception. We all watched him and cringed as he started shouting at the hotel manager who was behind the desk.

"You're sorry? That's not good enough. He was in her room...it looks like he's taken a knife to her clothes and your bed. What if she'd been there alone? What good is sorry to us? How the hell does a man who isn't a guest or a member of staff, manage to get access to our records to know what floor and room we're in? Let alone actually get a key and then get to and from the room without anyone seeing?" He slammed his hand down on the counter and closed his eyes.

Carlisle had followed his son over and placed a hand on his back in an attempt to calm him down.

"Mr. Cullen, this is highly concerning for us, we pride ourselves on our security and discretion. We will be investigating this further I can assure you. We have already notified the police and have our security team checking over the CCTV." I could see that the manager looked highly embarrassed so I walked over to Edward. I didn't want him taking out his frustration on the wrong person.

"Edward, come on let's just go. This is just what James does. In Seattle he had everyone baffled-I'd get flowers and other presents hand delivered to my desk, but not once did he get caught on camera. Please, Edward, take me home?" I put my hands on his arm and encouraged him away from the desk.

"Edward, go. Mr. Nickolau will handle this himself and we _will_ be kept informed of any information they acquire. You need to get Bella back home, Felix is already there. So, just have him meet you at the airport." Carlisle's tone was kind yet stern at the same time. Edward nodded and stepped away.

"Okay, Dad. Ring me though. I want to know exactly what they find out." He relaxed a little and put his arm back around me.

Carlisle assured him he would and told us once again to go. He reached over and squeezed my shoulder softly. "Be careful, both of you. Let Felix do his job. You never know he might even catch this guy."

I tried to agree positively, but I knew there was no chance of that.

We said our goodbyes to a very worried Esme, Rose and Emmett. Caitlyn was upset to see us go, but made me promise to come back to LA as soon as I could.

Edward's Volvo was brought around to the front and I scanned the grounds as we waited. I could feel his eyes on me and I knew he was here somewhere, watching, but I kept quiet. The last thing I wanted was for Edward to go off looking for him. James would be waiting for the first opportunity to get to Edward and I wasn't going to let that happen.

I barely even noticed the drive to the airfield; I barely noticed the plane, the jet or even our landing. Before I knew it, we were back in the apartment, and it felt comforting to be home. The doormen at the building had been vigilant in our absence and no one had been allowed into the building who wasn't a resident. I was still nervous as we rose up in the elevator, but as soon as we walked through the door I knew instantly James hadn't been here and I made myself relax.

Unfortunately, James had found Edward's home number and had left countless messages over the past few days. They were the messages I had come to expect from him. Vague threats, comments about me that made my skin crawl and of course declarations of love and adoration for me. I refused to listen to any of them and made Edward delete each one straight away.

Felix met us at the airport, and stayed with us in the apartment for the time being. He was a scary looking guy; he was tall, really frigging tall, with a very square-set face and unnaturally deep voice. His skin was unbelievably pale and this was made more noticeable by the black suit he was wearing. In fact when I shouted him to ask if he wanted a drink, I half expected him to walk over and say,_"You rang."_

Edward proceeded to give _'Lurch'_ his orders. He was to escort me to and from work and anywhere else I might go. I was more worried about the need to follow Edward, but he assured me that he would be with me wherever I went anyway, so there was no need to worry.

_Yeah right, no need to worry._

I insisted on working at Art's as normal on Sunday, and before my shift I called in to see Alice and Angela.

"Your dad has been really great, Bella." Alice gushed as she showed us the improvements to the security. "I honestly think that this is it, this is the last time James fucking Hunter will ruin your life. Between Edward and your father, there's no way he can escape being seen. I just hope they put a bullet in between his eyes and end this for good."

I was a little stunned with Alice's violent outburst. I shared her opinion; well, I _mostly_ shared her opinion.

"Don't get too carried away, Alice. I doubt James is that stupid. Dad tried that before remember, and yet here we are again." I sighed. "Be careful won't you? You, of all people know what he's like. Please make sure you keep an eye on Angela too."

"I know, Bella, but we'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about. I know you keep thinking that Edward's going to be blamed for this, but you've never stood up to him like this before. He's not right in the head, Bella. Don't assume you know what he's planning next."

Once we were done with the "heavy," she ordered me to relive every detail about the weekend, the shopping, the hotel, the spa and then the party. I laughed as she squealed in delight when she heard I had worn a dress by Irina what's her face. Of course I couldn't show her, that, along with the shoes and purse were gone.

I had to be at Art's for seven, and we walked over to the bar, with Felix hovering behind me. Edward remained anonymous somehow, but still I felt as though I was drawing more attention to myself, having this huge, scary figure on my heels. I kept my mouth shut, if Edward was going to insist on coming everywhere I went, then I could relax a little, knowing that Felix would be watching Edward too.

Art welcomed us, his voice laden with concern and naturally, the conversation was stuck on James. We told him what he had done in LA and Art was eager to be involved in taking him out of the picture for good.

The shift was pretty much uneventful, a few fans who had more than enough to drink made a beeline for Edward and Felix politely but assertively asked them to move. They didn't argue because that guy was definitely not the kind of man you wanted to see angry.

Unfortunately, there was a surprise waiting for us outside Edward's building when we returned home. A box was sitting in reception with the doorman. It had been officially mailed through a courier, so there was no reason for the doormen to question it. I looked inside and I almost burst into tears. It was my jewellery box, the one that went missing all those years ago and it was smashed in pieces. A note was pinned to the top of the box.

_Isabella,_

_I was saving this for you. I knew how much you loved it and couldn't bring myself to destroy it. I had planned to give it to you when we were reunited once again, but now let it serve as a reminder of what I am prepared to do...of what I am capable of._

_Remember, Isabella, we are forever._

The little swan's head had been snapped off at the neck. I removed the body and its head, but gave the box and the rest of its contents back to the doorman and told him to get rid of it. Edward was looking at me sadly, he told Felix to go home for the night and we went straight upstairs.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I know what that box meant to you," he whispered as I attempted to glue the little swan back together. "I'll tell Malcolm to make sure any deliveries that come for you or me are refused unless we tell them beforehand. He's just trying to get inside your head. I know it must be hard but please don't let him."

Things pretty much continued in a similar pattern for the next few weeks. Both Edward and I had to change numbers again, packages were left for me outside Art's, the building I used to live and despite Edward's request that no doorman was to accept anything on our behalf, the deliveries would still arrive on a daily basis. They came addressed to other residents, or for the doormen personally.

The things he sent me ranged from flowers and soft toys, to more torn up clothing and personal things that he had taken from me over the years. I had all the flowers and teddy bears taken to nursing homes and hospitals, knowing James would hate that. I hoped he would see what I was doing, because secretly I was praying I would do something to trigger a violent reaction. If he tried to get to me, there were enough people about to stop him, catch him and then end this. But he never did, I never saw him, and nor did Felix or any of the other guys my father hired to keep watch.

Luckily, he never made any attempt to contact Caitlyn or any of Edward's family in LA. He seemed to be concentrating his efforts on New York.

Then as we began approaching Christmas, things changed abruptly. The phone calls stopped, the text messages stopped, and the gifts stopped too. We waited for a full week, expecting them to start-up again but they didn't. We literally heard not a thing from James. I felt uneasy, I knew this wasn't that last we'd hear. To James, this was a game, of that I was absolutely certain. I couldn't believe for a second that he was just gone. Why would he just disappear after all of this time?

Edward and my father were speaking regularly. Between them they started to wonder if he had been arrested for something and then deported back to the UK. Their other possibility was he had been involved in an accident of some kind. To easy, I thought. But by god, I would have loved for it to be true.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D I know some of you were expecting a big shebang with Tanya at the party, but I didn't think that was the place to have it out with her. They do meet again I promise!**

**Sorry for being a fail with review replies yesterday...I will try to catch up, but just know I love reading every one...thank you xx**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 - Silence**

**EPOV**

Since our return from LA, not a day had passed without some form of contact from James. There were the constant tirade of phone calls, text messages, flowers and every other gift imaginable. They were delivered to our apartment, Bella's old apartment, Art's, and even to my parents' homes in both the Hampton's and LA.

The messages Bella received from James were vastly different from those he left me. He would beg and plead with her to see sense and come back to him with declarations of his love and adoration. Not once did he threaten her, or my family. In fact, the only mention he made regarding our relationship was to ask her over and over again to end things.

I, on the other hand, received the brunt of the threats and insults. If I didn't know the number I wouldn't answer, but he rang over and over and left countless voice mails. I could tell we were getting to him, the desperation in his voice was clear, and his threats were blatant and finally it was something we could use against him...if we ever found him. James told me to stay the hell away from Bella or suffer the consequences, and he the audacity to imply I was controlling her by refusing to let her see him.

As Bella said she would, she contacted the police immediately after we returned from LA, and they did take the situation seriously, more seriously than any of us anticipated. There were two detectives assigned to Bella's case—Detective's Solbakken and Fisher, and they did what they could in a particularly difficult situation. They attempted to trace the phone calls, locate the stores from which the gifts were sent, and even had James' photograph distributed among NYPD foot patrol in case he was spotted.

But, as we all knew, the calls were made from pre-paid phones bought for cash in stores all over the city, and the flowers and other gifts were ordered online from busy Internet Cafés. The CCTV was inconclusive, not once were they able to positively identify James on any of the footage provided by the stores.

We also discovered that James Hunter always managed to find people to help him. Following a very thorough investigation at the hotel in LA, the police were notified that one of their employee's had admitted she was the one to confirm Bella and I were guests and had even revealed what room we were staying in. Apparently, Bella's estranged, _brother _had called the hotel and made a desperate plea for help, explaining to the young desk-clerk that he had some tragic family news. She never met him in person, but still he managed to pry the information from her. Suffice to say, if he'd done that in LA, he was probably doing it here in New York.

The detectives took statements from all of those closest to Bella, they contacted their counterparts in England and obtained as much information on James Hunter as they could. However, despite their efforts, they were never able to track him down.

Bella's father also arranged for us to meet with an attorney who specialised in cases such as Bella's. He told us that should James be arrested, the crimes he had committed could be considered Aggravated Felonies. If convicted and the sentence carried more than one year in prison, non-US citizens would face deportation without serving jail-time. If the sentence handed out was less than one year, they would serve that sentence in the US and then face deportation through expedited procedures after their release.

We never allowed James to dictate anything we did; we ate at our favourite restaurants, went for runs in the park and visited the house in East Hampton when we needed to escape the city. Felix accompanied us of course, as did Harry, but there was never any need for either of them to intervene.

I didn't take any chances with my family either, Peter remained in LA, keeping Caitlyn, Mom and Dad safe. My parents weren't fond of the escort everywhere they went, but my sister wasn't fazed in the slightest. She took it all in her stride and found it a great subject to talk about with her friends.

So when the contact simply stopped it threw us all. There had been no indication in any of his most recent messages that would incline he was in anyway tiring of the relentless pursuit of Bella. I wondered if he knew just how well protected she was now and had decided to try another approach. We expected Alice, Angela, Charlie and anyone else who was part of Bella's life to receive some form of attention or contact from him; but none came.

There was nothing but an eerie silence. Surely, after seven long years of his frenzied obsession with Bella it wouldn't just stop? Secretly I hoped he'd finally realised he wasn't going to win this time, that I was the one Bella was meant to be with and he could take his controlling and psychotic self back to the UK, but Bella was less hopeful. She couldn't believe it was ever going to end and insisted he was still out there, still watching and waiting. I was conflicted, I wanted her to unwind a little and get on with her life without always having to look over her shoulder. Yet, I didn't want to let down our guard completely, in case this was part of his plan. The limbo situation we were in, was fast becoming the most stressful time of all.

As was our usual Sunday routine, Felix and I accompanied Bella to Art's and made ourselves comfortable to wait out her shift. Tonight Seth, Garrett, Emmett and Rose were also here. Rosalie had firmly planted herself into Bella's tight-knit circle of friends. As a result of this friendship, she and Emmett spent more time here in New York and as Alice was usually at the bar talking to Bella and Rose, Jasper had begun hanging around more with us and was now considered one of the guys.

James had always brought disruption to Bella's life, yet this time he had only succeeded in making her bonds with her friends more pronounced. No one gave up on her like they had in England and Seattle, they were supportive and made it their mission to watch out for her.

I knew that although Bella took James' threats seriously, she was growing increasingly frustrated with Felix constantly hovering at her side. She understood the reason of course, but moaned about it nonetheless. Tonight she insisted we go upstairs and shoot some pool while she worked, even Felix was ordered to take a night off.

"Bella, do you think that's a good idea? I mean just because we haven't heard anything from him for a few weeks doesn't mean he's not out there. I think it's prob-" I began to protest but she stood her ground.

"Edward, I'm not asking for you to leave me stranded alone or anything. I just want you to go upstairs with the guys and take Felix with you. Art's going to be down here with me, I'll be fine. I need a bit of room to breathe, please, Edward, just for tonight?" She knew just what face to pull, what tone to use in her voice-she had me wrapped around her finger. In fact, I strongly suspected she had that effect on most of the people in the room.

I was aware that after what she had been through with James, the last thing she needed was me being overbearing and controlling. I sighed. "Art, if you need to go in the back for anything you shout me, yeah?" I glared at my friend and he nodded.

"Sure, Edward, by the end of the night, she'll be so sick and tired of me being stuck to her side, she'll be begging to have Felix back." Art winked.

I begrudgingly agreed and Felix and I joined the other's upstairs.

"Wow, Eddie. I was starting to believe you two were conjoined twins," Seth joked. "Are you sure you won't get withdrawals? I don't think you've spent more than an hour apart since LA have you?"

"No, I don't think we have and I wouldn't want it any other way, Seth. I keep expecting him to turn up and try to get to her." I left the door slightly ajar and kept checking on her downstairs.

"She's got Art and a bar full of people to watch over her. He won't try anything here, Edward," Emmett assured me. "Just try to relax, clear your head for an hour. You need the break."

Emmett was right, I was always thinking about him, worrying about her and I needed to give myself a brief reprieve from the stress. It was tough to switch off but eventually I did manage to focus on the games and found myself enjoying the distraction. I won a few and lost a few, but it really didn't matter.

I didn't leave Bella alone all night of course, I insisted on being the one to bring the drinks just so I had an opportunity to see her. Felix wasn't comfortable with the situation, he never switched off completely. Not once did he accept a challenge to a game of pool, he just lingered anxiously near the door-constantly looking downstairs to check all was well.

"So, how are you doing?" Rose asked randomly, carefully studying me as we sat at the bar.

"Me? I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Well, it's the worst for Bella sure, but you have it hard too, Edward. You have to keep it together all the time for her, so I'll ask you again, are _you_ okay?" She looked at me, waiting for my response.

I shrugged casually. "Yeah I'm just on edge, I guess. There's not much I can do to help her is there? Sometimes I just don't know what to do for the best."

Rosalie smiled. "I'd say just do whatever you've done for the last six months. Bella's happy and that's the most important thing right?"

I smiled. "Absolutely, but I just wish I knew what his game plan was. I mean, for two weeks we've heard nothing, why would he just stop now, Rose? Surely, it can't be that easy?"

Rose pondered that for a moment. "Probably not, but, James is a _stalker_, Edward. For him the obsession is the idea of being with Bella. The Bella he's created in his head is in love with James, not you, so he can't understand why she won't come to him. Maybe, while he's been here in New York he's found something else to distract him, moved on to another poor target perhaps. If he thinks that there's someone else out there for him besides Bella, then he might focus his energy on her, and finally let Bella get on with her life." I raised my eyebrows doubtfully at her suggestion and she quickly attempted to defend herself. "I said maybe, Edward. There has to be a reason for everything to stop. Good or bad."

I nodded, I agreed there was a reason to this, but I didn't agree that it was anything to do with him moving on to someone else. Either something had happened to him or this was part of a plan he had concocted.

I had a few more beers, played a few more games of pool and had a good laugh with the guys. A little before one in the morning, Bella appeared upstairs. "Can you guys go downstairs now? I want to clean up." Seth began to protest and Bella laughed. "Art's still got the bar open, Seth, don't worry." She waited for everyone to make their move and then began tidying up.

"Need some help?" I offered hopefully.

"Nope, you'd just distract me and then it would take twice as long." She laughed and kissed me. I didn't let her pull away at first, but she squirmed and slapped my shoulder playfully. "See what I mean? I'll be twenty minutes tops. Go...shoo."

I tried to protest but she pushed me gently through the door and closed it in my face, so I wandered reluctantly downstairs. The others had taken seats at the bar and they were chatting to a customer. He was the only one still here, so I knew as soon as Bella was done, Art would send her home.

I sat beside Garrett and tried to pick up on the conversation Seth was having with the customer.

"We've got a few more weeks off yet. We had a pretty hectic summer and now it's our time to recover." Seth laughed. "We were over in England for a few dates actually, when did you move out here?"

"Just last month. I can't quite believe you come drinking in here. My fiancée has a bit of a thing for you guys. One of you in particular." He spoke with an English accent similar to Bella's and added with a laugh. "I just hope she doesn't come in." He must have indicated in my direction when he spoke because Seth laughed with him.

"Ah, don't worry, pal. Eddie's all loved up. It's scary how bad he's got it actually."

From where I sat, I couldn't see the man who was talking, I wasn't particularly interested, I was too busy constantly glancing upstairs.

"Nothing wrong with that. Only someone who's never been in love can knock it." The man continued. "Every man needs a good woman."

"I'll drink to that," I mumbled appreciatively and finished off my beer.

"So why d'ya make the move over here?" Seth asked.

"My girl of course. She moved here without me first. I tried to keep things going, but it was too much to deal with the long distance thing, so I bit the bullet and came after her." He smiled fondly as he spoke. "She's working now, so I thought I'd have a look around the city and see what it had to offer."

"Art, do you have the keys down there?" I whipped my head around to see Bella standing at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, I'll lock up once you're done," Art replied and she disappeared back into the room again.

"Beautiful girl that one," the man murmured and I tried to move around Seth so I could shoot him a "hand's off" look.

"Don't even go there," Seth warned. "That's Bella, Edward's girlfriend."

"She's definitely a keeper," he murmured quietly. "I guess I should go." He got up and made his way towards the door.

Before he could leave, Bella re-appeared and made her way downstairs towards me. I jumped up from the stool and walked to meet her. She had a tray full of empty bottles in her hands and smiled as I blocked her path to the bar. I saw her glance over my shoulder and the second her eyes landed on the man at the door she went white. I saw the tray fall from her hands and the bottles smash on the floor. She was visibly shaking and her lip was quivering.

"Bella? What is it?" I grabbed her shoulders and looked back at the door. Instantly I recognised the man's face, but gone was the blond hair I'd seen in a photo of him issued by the police investigating her case. James was now sporting dark hair, almost black and a full face of facial hair. He stared over at her, his eyes burning into hers; he gave her one sad smile and then raced through the door. "Is that him? Is that James?" I didn't know why I was even bothering to ask. Of course it was him.

She couldn't move her eyes, her body was rigid in my hands and the only thing she could do was nod her head. As soon as she did that, Felix lurched forward and ran out of the door after him. I stood in shock for a few minutes, he had been here, in the bar, sitting just a few feet from me and I just let him leave.

"God Damn it." Art brought his hand down onto the bar in anger. "Jesus, fucking christ, that was him? We're fucking idiots."

"Shit, Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was him, I mean...that picture we saw of him...he just looked so fucking different." Seth looked over at us, his eyes full of remorse.

"None of us noticed, Seth...we blew it." I shook my head, and Bella managed a weak smile for Seth's benefit then buried her face into my chest. I could feel her start to shake, desperately trying to hold herself together.

"Felix went straight after him and there are those two guys Charlie hired, they're out there somewhere. They might catch him," Emmett offered hopefully, but I wasn't so optimistic. New York was a big city, big enough for someone to disappear, escape down a dark alley or hide in a shop.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I can't believe he had the nerve to show his face here like that." I held her as tight as I could.

"Um, Bella. This was on the stool, I think he left it for you." Rose shifted nervously. "Do you want to read it or..." She had a white envelope in her hand. On the front it read, _Isabella_.

I didn't want Bella reading this, God knows what he had put in it and I wanted to make sure it wasn't going to upset her even more. "I'll read it, Rose." I held out my hand and she passed it to me hesitantly.

I ripped open the envelope and read the letter silently. After I had finished I pulled Bella back slightly. "Bella, I think you might want to read this. Do you want me to read it to you?"

She nodded and looked at me, waiting. This was definitely not what she would have been expecting.

_**Dear Isabella,**_

_**When I think about the past seven years I am filled with a range of emotions. I feel love and passion for you most of all, but then there is anger and regret. I am angry because I finally realised what I have been putting you through. I know I made your life a living Hell for seven years. I destroyed your life, destroyed the lives of those around you and I want you to know that it ends here. That leads me to regret. I hate myself for what I have done and I will never forgive myself for it either.**_

_**I wanted to try to explain a few things about me, I would have preferred face to face, but I understand why your boyfriend won't let me within a hundred yards of you. I would do the same thing. This is a long story but I hope I can take a few more minutes of your time. I know I ask a lot considering what I have done, but you really should hear what I have to say.**_

_**For most of my life I was raised by the nanny. My father would be out at work all hours and my mother was sick, she had a psychiatric disorder according to one of the many doctors who treated her. Shortly after I turned twenty-two, she killed herself, finally succeeding after many other failed attempts. **_

_**After her funeral my father was beside himself with grief and he too, took his own life. I struggled to cope alone and my doctor diagnosed me with depression. I was given antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, and they seemed to help me enough to continue with my life as normal.**_

_**I gained a promotion at work and the hours I spent in the office each day increased. I ran out of meds and never got the chance to refill the prescription. I was functioning well, and I had no bouts of depression, no anxiety attacks...nothing at all. I assumed that I was fine without the tablets and decided not to get anymore.**_

_**Then I met you. **_

_**I thought everything I ever wanted had landed in my lap like a gift from God. You were so beautiful and I fell in love with you the second I saw you. I loved being with you and whenever we were apart, the feelings of depression and anxiety began to resurface. **_

_**Instead of visiting the doctor and starting to take the medication I needed, I thought that it was you alone who could make me well again. I focused all my attention on you, on winning you back, and making you realise that you loved me too.**_

_**Every time you rejected me I created an absurd excuse to explain your behaviour rather than admit the truth. I blamed your family and saw them as obstacles for me to overcome. The night your mother lost her life in the accident, I confess I was delighted. I saw it as one less thing to come between us and convinced myself you would realise we were meant to be together.**_

_**The four years I spent in prison were torture. Not a second passed where you weren't on my mind. I knew you moved to Seattle to live with your father immediately after the funeral, and following my release from prison, I followed you. Still, **__**I was in denial, convinced that you were challenging me to win you back and I played along. I took someone else away from you...this time it was your boyfriend...and at the time I could see the victory line growing ever closer. **_

_**But you ran again, and it broke me.**_

_**I spent two years looking for you Isabella. Two long years spent trawling the country feeling like I would suffocate if I didn't see you. I had almost resigned myself to the fact I'd never see you again, and then I saw the pictures. I saw you with your new boyfriend and once again, feeling enraged, I vowed to kill him. Yet despite my threats, my warnings, you stayed with him and you moved in with him. I was desperate and convinced he had you blinded to who he really was. So I decided to take a different approach. I scoured the Internet searching for photos of your boyfriend in compromising situations with other women, but there were none. I only found pictures of the two of you together and I could see that you looked at him as I looked at you. **_

_**It pained me to admit it, but at that moment I realised that you had not given yourself to me in the same way I had to you. I couldn't bear to imagine my life without you in it, so I took a knife to my wrist and cut as deep as I could. Unfortunately, a woman walking her dog, found me and called an ambulance.**_

_**I was rushed to hospital, my wrists were sewn and bandaged, and I was referred to a psychiatrist for the treatment I needed...the treatment I should have had years ago. **_

_**I realise New York is not my home and I need to be somewhere familiar and safe, so I booked myself onto a flight to Heathrow and I will leave on Tuesday morning to begin my therapy in London.**_

_**After everything I have done I know I can never make amends, but I will let you live in peace. I will never threaten or harm anyone close to you again.**_

_**I do love you, Isabella; I know I will for the rest of my life. But it's because I love you that I am going to walk away.**_

_**Yours now and always**_

_**James.**_

"Is that it?" Bella glanced up at me. She was chewing on her lip so hard that she had actually broken the skin. "It's a lie...he's full of shit. What does he expect me to think? _Oh well never mind, James realised his wrongs. I'm all better now._" She hissed in frustration and pulled at her hair with her fingers.

"You don't think he was telling you the truth?" Rose stepped closer to Bella and squeezed her shoulder. "I mean, could it really be something as simple as he wants you to believe?"

"I doubt it, Rose. God I hope it was, but I can't trust anything he says." Bella looked torn, desperately wanting to believe him but terrified to allow herself to think that this might finally be over. "How can I after all this time?"

"Well, Felix, Peter and the others stay on for now. We carry on as we have been doing-I won't take any chances. If he was telling the truth then no harm done, but if he was full of shit and he tries anything then it will be the last thing he ever does." I wrapped my arms around Bella tightly. "Promise me something, Bella. If he does come back, if he was just playing us then will you let me finish it?"

"Yes." It was barely even a whisper but I sighed in relief.

"Edward, you take Bella home now. Felix is still looking for that bastard. I'll clean up, Hun, don't worry." Art handed me Bella's coat and bag and pointed to the door. Emmett and Rose, Seth and Garrett walked with us and once we were home I rang Felix to find out what had happened with James. It was as I suspected, James had disappeared again. He had been right there within arms length and he had got away.

I could see Bella was still shaken up and rightly so, she had spent too many years with her guard up to drop it now on his say so alone. We lay in bed hours talking about it, dissecting every word and we were no further forward by five the next morning.

The next day we ate breakfast with Alice, Angela, Ben and Jasper. After explaining everything that had happened the previous night, Alice agreed with Bella, it was too good to be true. How convenient he saw the wrong in his ways after Bella had finally stood up and faced him. She thought he was using it as a ploy, an excuse to get to her in some way and she insisted that I keep an extra close eye on Bella.

Charlie had actually flown in to discuss the recent confrontation, and this time Bella insisted on meeting for lunch to talk about things. We both knew he would be a little more than angry and at least in public he couldn't exactly air his thoughts as he would have liked.

We were meeting at the restaurant _Per Se._ Charlie had managed to secure last-minute reservations. Surprisingly we were not joined by Amelia, much to Bella's delight. At least Charlie listened to what his daughter had to say in LA.

Bella had reminded me time and time again about her father's need to control as much as he possibly could, tonight was no exception and much to my irritation, he took the liberty of ordering on our behalf, selecting from the most expensive option - _The Chef's Tasting Menu_ along with a 1959 Château Latour which was priced at $6400 per bottle. He held off on the impending lecture about James until we finished eating.

No sooner than our plates had been cleared, Charlie started, "I need to get this straight, James came to the bar while my daughter was working and sat drinking at the bar with you and your friends, Edward?" He shook his head. "This is beyond a joke. How in God's name did no one recognise him? How can I trust you with my daughter when you can't even spot the very man you're supposed to be protecting her from?"

I kept quiet, this was coming whether I chose to defend myself or not. I let his words wash over me.

"Then, to add insult to injury you let the son of a bitch walk away. If you took this seriously at all, then you would have noticed James was in the bar and he would be dead right now." He slammed his hand down so hard on the table our glasses clinked. It drew the attention from the other diners but Charlie didn't seem to care.

"Edward wasn't sitting with him, Dad, he couldn't see his face. Anyway, he had dark hair and a beard...even Harry didn't spot him for christ's sake. Besides me, Sarah and Phil, there's only Alice who has seen him face to face. Stop blaming Edward, none of this is his fault, Dad." Bella was furious.

"You should have stopped her working in that dive, and she should have been kept safe at home. Sometimes I doubt that she has any idea what self-preservation is." His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear but he didn't seem to care, he shot Bella an exasperated look and took a drink of his wine.

"For God's sake keep your voice down. Everyone is staring." Bella hissed. Sure enough the other diner's were watching us and the Maitre'D was hovering, deciding on whether he should step in. "As for self-preservation, I do understand, Dad. But I am not hiding anymore, I will not sit around and watch my life pass me by anymore.

"That's ridiculous," Charlie's voice quieted but the anger was still radiating from him like heat from a fire.

"Dad, I know you're worried and you want to help, but I need to live my life how I choose. I've found a wonderful man who makes me happier than I've ever been, and after all that's happened I've realised that is the only thing that matters. I won't let James take anything else from me."

Charlie muttered, "Bella, sweetheart. Your relationship with Edward is the reason he found you, and the reason he'll always know where you are. Until we sort this out once and for all, I think it's for the best if you come back to Seattle with me tonight."

"No. I'm done with people trying to control me, Dad. I hate anyone having that kind of power over me and worried or not, you should know better. That's what James has tried to do for seven years and I won't hide or move from New York, not now. It's my home." Bella was holding my hand so tightly it was actually uncomfortable, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"With this guy?" He gestured at me. "What do you honestly think is going to come of this, Bella? Do you see yourself married and following him around the world? Please, Bella, I thought you had more sense than that." Charlie was shifting expressions, he would plead at Bella with his eyes and then glance at me and shoot me the evils.

"Dad, I didn't come here to gain your opinion on my boyfriend, I came to talk to my father...try to clear the air and get back to being his daughter again. I want to forget all about James and get on with living my life. Edward has kept Felix on, just in case. I have an army of volunteer bodyguards so trust me, you don't need to worry."

"Bella, honey, you're my daughter, worrying comes with the territory. I can't fathom how you can even begin to believe a word he told you. If he was suffering like he claims, then why didn't he have a breakdown when you spent all those years apart or when you dated Jacob? You must not trust him, Bella, please. He's playing you, I'm sure of it." Charlie's voiced calmed considerably, he no longer looked pumped with anger, now he looked full of concern for Bella.

I could see that he adored her, but perhaps the time they spent apart had rendered him clueless when it came to the workings of Bella's personality. In one respect she was a bit of a pushover, would pretty much agree to anything if it saved a useless argument. But then, take a situation such as this, anything which was remotely stressful and she became a different person. Determined and focused and predominantly stubborn.

"Maybe he is, Dad, maybe he isn't. I suppose either way we'll find out soon enough."

She refused to discuss James or any of the recent events anymore and instead they discussed what had happened when Bella left Seattle, they tried to put things behind them once and for all. She let Charlie apologize profusely for the things that had been said in Seattle and agreed that it was best they move forward and start afresh.

Her father and I only spoke when it was time to discuss the plans for keeping Bella safe. I said that until we knew for sure that he was gone, we needed to keep things as they were. Surprisingly he agreed that we wouldn't change anything, we would both keep our guys on the job and let them tell us if the coast was clear...if James had _really_ gone. But we would be ready if he tried anything and if he was waiting for us to drop the ball then he would be waiting for a long time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN So, James has seen the light, huh? **

**I'm not an attorney nor do I have any clue regarding legal proceedings for convicted criminals...but the part about deportation I did find on the internet so hopefully it is accurate! Feel free to correct me if you know different :D**

**Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D**

**More tomorrow :D**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 - Happy Right Now**

**BPOV**

Seeing James in the bar, sitting so brazenly with Edward and his friends scared me to death. He could so easily have walked into the bar with a knife or gun and hurt Edward, or any one of the others. Then there was his letter...the words completely shocked me; of course I sincerely doubted there was a shred of truth in anything he said, but I wanted it to be true so badly. I wanted to be able to move forward and stop waiting for something to happen, I wanted to wander aimlessly around the city with Edward without the need for anyone to "escort" us, and I didn't want to feel the ball of dread in my stomach every time the phone rang.

I allowed myself a few seconds to envisage what he had written, allowed myself to believe what he said and allowed myself to wonder how good that would feel. It was all irrelevant if James was lying. Anyone could buy a ticket to London from JFK, it wasn't proof that he would be on the plane when it took off.

So, when I was told by my father that James had checked in and subsequently boarded that flight back to England I was stunned. There were no phone calls, letters, or gifts.

We told the detectives what had happened and they contacted the hospital at which he claimed to have been a patient. Because of doctor-patient privileges they could only confirm if he had been a patient, which he had, but they couldn't divulge his diagnosis or anything else pertaining to his treatment.

So far, everything appeared to be as it seemed and despite my best intentions to remain un-affected by his promises, I found that I was daring to believe it was true.

Edward seemed to share my reservations and nothing changed as far as our protection was concerned. Felix, Peter, and Harry were kept around to check things were as they appeared to be. The only difference I insisted on was the distance Felix and Harry kept from me. I didn't want either of them hovering on my shoulder, so instead now they just kept me in sight and just that small change felt liberating.

December passed in a blur and before I realised it, Christmas Eve was upon us. As a child it was always my favourite day, even more so than Christmas morning. I always loved the excitement and the anticipation that came with Christmas Eve. I used to think about Santa and his Elves getting his sleigh ready and packing all my presents into his sack. Even as I got older the excitement never faded, my mother was like a child herself, she insisted on leaving the mince pie and glass of milk out every year, even when I left school. She would put the tree up without fail on December 1st and throughout December there would be no music on the stereo other than Christmas songs. Even on the last Christmas morning she'd been alive, she woke me up at six am, knocking on my door singing, "He's been Bella, come and see." There would be just a few crumbs remaining on the plate and a trace of milk left in the glass. I knew it was her, but still her enthusiasm for the holiday made me smile just thinking about it.

_Perhaps your insanity and mental health problems stem from your mother?_

But, since she died I'd hated Christmas. The ones spent with my father were nice enough, even Alice and Angela had tried their best to make ours special, but something was missing; my mum...a real family. This year was going to be a big deal for me, I was having lunch with Edward's family at their house in the Hampton's. They had invited us to spend Christmas Eve there too, but I was working at Arts, so we were driving over with Emmett and Rose early Christmas Day instead.

Christmas Eve I woke up early with a strange feeling. It felt like a hundred butterflies were fluttering around inside my stomach. I thought initially it was nerves, but what on earth would I be nervous?

I was eager to be up and about, I wanted to make the most of New York City at this wonderful time of year before my shift started. Edward, on the other hand was in no rush to move. He was still fast asleep and I subtly tried to rouse him. I played with his hair and ran my fingers across his lips and face, but he never stirred and I gave it up as a lost cause. I sighed, got out of bed, and after showering, I made as much noise as I could in another attempt to wake him up but when I emerged he hadn't moved an inch.

I sat cross-legged at the bottom of the bed and felt the butterflies start again. I had no idea why I was feeling like this, because I wasn't nervous or anxious. I tried to calm myself down with deep breathing and peaceful thoughts but it made no difference. What on earth was wrong with me?

_You're not nervous, you're excited because it's Christmas Eve. This is how it used to feel before. Edward's making Christmas Eve something to look forward to again._

I was excited! Of course I was. For the first time in six years I was looking forward to a family Christmas. I stared at Edward in awe, love and lust. After cooing over how much I loved him I felt a little emotional.

You're emotionally unstable, you do know that right? Anyway, when you're done crying, please remember Mr. Delicious has made you love Christmas, don't you think you should say thank you? I can think of a sure fire way to wake him up.

Lust took control at that point and I peeled back the covers and climbed over him, slowly kissing down his neck softly. He didn't wake up, but I smirked as Mr. D Junior acknowledged my presence. As I drifted lower over his stomach and hips he was still asleep but as soon as my lips reached the promised land, his eyes flew open and he swore loudly.

"Jesus..." he croaked and his hands immediately found my head. "Bella."

I teased him first with my tongue and teeth, moving slowly up and down his shaft, barely touching him. Then, when I took him fully in my mouth as deep as I could, he began to guide my head back and forth urging me faster so I did.

"I going to come, Bella...shit," he panted, and I felt him feebly attempt to move my head.

I kept going and watches smugly as he flopped back, a content smile fixed on his face.

"Fuck me, that was the best wakeup call I've ever had. What was that for?" he asked as I crawled back up his body.

"I just felt like saying, I love you." I shrugged.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you could have said the actual words, you know." He chuckled, his eyes were still burning and his hair was even more wild than usual.

"Yeah right, if someone didn't sleep like a deaf person in a coma then I would have been able to just say it," I teased and traced around his face with my fingers. Marvelling at the perfection that was Edward.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to apologize, Bella. If that's the only way you can wake me up then I'll get rid of my alarm clock now." Edward rolled over me. "How about I tell you how much I love you?"

_Ooooh yes please Mr. Delicious. Tell do tell._

"I was hoping you'd say that." I giggled.

Edward and I spent the majority of the day out and about in Manhattan, I loved the wonderful atmosphere that the city boasted. The streets were full of people catching up on their last minute Christmas shopping. We visited the huge tree at Rockefeller Center and he even attempted to take me ice skating . That didn't last much longer than ten minutes. After I fell twice and succeeded in pulling him down with me he had complained about my coordination and forcibly removed me from the ice.

All day Edward drew a lot of attention. In fact one girl started squealing that she got the present she had asked Santa to get her. I chatted to her mother as Edward entertained the girl. Apparently, the only thing she had wanted this year was to meet Edward Cullen. Her mother admitted she had been dreading Christmas morning because she knew she wouldn't be able to give her that present. She thanked Edward profusely before she and her daughter left. Fan after fan approached him and he posed dutifully for photos and signed countless autographs. He was perfectly polite although I could see he was getting a little tired of it.

I forgot that somewhere close by were Felix and Harry, watching to make sure we weren't about to come face to face with James.

The weather was icy cold yet I barely noticed. I didn't care that a few people snapped photos of Edward and I together, I was just happy that I was here with him and finally enjoying the spirit of Christmas again.

We headed straight to Arts before my shift started at six. I was working Christmas and New Year, but I had done the previous two years. It was always busier than usual at this time of year, but now that it was common knowledge the boys from Zeus were regulars there was rarely a spare minute during the shift. Still Edward took his usual spot at the end of the bar, waiting for me.

Yes ladies, he's here with me. Just me, not you.

"Hey, Art, what time are you hoping to close?" Edward set upon Art as soon as he sat down.

"Damn, Edward, she's only just started her shift. If you don't quit hassling me I'm going to have to ban you from the place." Art huffed sarcastically.

"Come on buddy, no later than..." Edward pressed.

"Fine, no later than two, okay?" Art muttered, "Honestly, if you weren't my friend I'd be telling her she should get rid of you."

Edward snorted. "Gimme a break, Art, you know damn well you'd want it to be me who's her boyfriend, rather than anybody else she could have met here in your bar. I was only asking what time because we're heading to my parents in the morning and I wanted to let them know when to expect us. Plus, if you were feeling a little more festive, you might let her go earlier so she wasn't too tired tomorrow."

"Bah, she's always tired. I know what you're like, Eddie, you don't use the night hours to sleep." Art laughed and I cringed. "But to respond to your point, yes Bella's like a sister, and no I wouldn't want her to be with anyone else who comes in here. So, by the process if elimination, I suppose you are the best of a rather poor selection she had and I'm not Ebenezer Scrooge, you know she can leave as soon it quietens down. Now shut up and let the girl get to work."

The night passed by quickly, I didn't get much chance to speak to Edward. Unusually he wasn't joined by anyone in the bar. Emmett and Rose hadn't been to Art's for a few days, although they were in the city. Garrett and Seth were both with their respective families, Alice had taken Jasper back to Seattle to meet her parents, and Angela was spending Christmas in Miami with Ben.

As the night wore on Edward seemed to become more and more distant...off it somehow. He was usually friendly and forthcoming with other customer's in the bar, but not tonight. I kept smiling at him, and he did smile back but it was half-hearted. Something was bothering him and my mind began to run away with me.

_Is he tiring of the straddling? Does he want someone else to straddle him? Perhaps your overbearing father, your crazy ex-boyfriend or your mental issues are too much for him? Don't let him dump you, Bella. Please...we need the straddling._

I tried to ignore her for the rest of the night. Inner-Bella was certainly trying her best to list all the reasons why Edward would be so distant and none of them made me feel any better. I thought about the gift I'd bought him. We were exchanging them before we left tomorrow morning. I had insisted that we set a limit on the amount we could spend. I had first wanted it to be no more than $50, but Edward had negotiated me up to $87. Why $87 I had no idea, but I suppose I would find out soon enough. My gift to him had cost more than that of course, but he didn't need to know that just yet.

It was a little after two when we finally left the bar. There were a few customers finishing off and I left Art and Sandrine clearing up. The walk back to the apartment was awkward and silent. Edward continued to insist he was fine and I continued to not believe him.

The small doubts I had in my head were now well and truly out of control. I'd managed to talk myself into believing Edward was about to tell me he didn't want me to go to his parent's for dinner and that he wasn't really happy with me and that it was probably for the best if we didn't see each other again.

_We are in mourning, I am imagining myself in a black dress, black hat and of course black veil over my face_.

"Bella, Emmett wants to leave by eight, what if we opened our gifts now, rather than tomorrow morning?" Edward was sitting beside me on the bed but his legs were jigging and his fingers were nervously picking at a callous on the inside of his palm.

"Sure. Let me grab yours." I rifled around in the wardrobe and handed him the small dark blue gift-bag. "If you don't mind, could you open it first? If you don't like it then please just say. I had no idea what to get you."

He smiled excitedly as he untied the string. "Mmmm, I'm intrigued." He looked curiously at the small box he had fished from the bottom of the bag.

"Look it's nothing to get jizzy about. In fact you might already have one that you like to use." I chewed on my fingernail anxiously.

His eyes widened slightly as he opened the box, and then he broke out into a huge grin. "Ah, Bella, that's brilliant." He twirled the little pick around in his fingers and then laughed as he read the inscription.

I had been drooling over a video of the guys playing a gig on their recent tour, I noticed that Edward used this little thing to play the guitar with. Bang! That was my gift. I found out the "little thing" was actually a pick, or plectrum and that you could have them inscribed if you wanted. I knew instantly what I wanted on mine and there was a store just a few blocks from my old apartment which did the rest.

"Mr. Delicious huh?" Edward laughed, he seemed to appreciate the present and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Well, I thought that was a bit more original than 'Edward', 'Cullen' or 'love you'. I hope you like it?" I smiled anxiously.

"It's perfect, Bella." He leaned over and kissed me. "Perfect."

_Excuse me, while I do love to do pretty much anything which may eventually lead to straddling, I would also rather like to open my present now. You know the rules, give and take. Give him his present and then take yours._

Edward dropped a gift in my lap while his lips were still on mine and then he moved back to watch me open it.

I gasped as I opened the wrapping. Inside was a small frosted glass box. I lifted it out carefully and almost cried. It was my jewellery box. Okay, not the same one that James had smashed a few weeks back, but it was the same kind. There was the same little swan, the same music which played when you wound it up, and even the colour of the interior was the same.

"Wow." I choked back a tear or two as I listened to the sound of Swan Lake drift around the room. "Edward, this is just...wonderful. I mean that doesn't even come close. I can't believe you found one." I sniffed and set the box down carefully before throwing my arms around his neck. "Thank you, it's the best gift you could ever have got me."

I moved to pick up the jewellery box again but Edward took my hands. "I'm not done."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "Hey, we had a budget remember?"

"Please, you're trying to tell me that a silver pick was anything less than $300? You can't lie, Bella, so don't start trying now. Besides, I've had this for ages, so it doesn't count as a gift exactly." He laughed, but he sounded a little nervous.

"You certainly know how to bend the rules, Cullen." I shook my head and waited for him to continue.

He didn't say anything straight away. He handed me a small box, then said, "Well, I thought that as you were getting a jewellery box for Christmas, it might be a good idea if you had something to put in it."

_Bless his little cotton socks. He's bought you some earrings to put inside. He's so cute, huh?_

I smiled and opened the box.

_Oh my God._

It wasn't earrings, nor was it a bracelet or a necklace. It was a ring.

_Oh my God!_

It wasn't just any old ring, it was a platinum banded ring.

_Oh my God._

A platinum banded ring with a diamond right in the centre.

_Oh my God_.

A holy Mary Mother of God, HUGE diamond.

_Oh my God!_

I gasped and didn't take my eyes from the ring. Because I was so transfixed on the ring, and because I couldn't see much thanks to the cascade of tears filling my eyes, I didn't notice Edward move from my side and I didn't see Edward sink slowly to one knee. Only when he spoke did I snap back to attention.

"Bella," he whispered and I lost myself in his eyes for a moment. They were so vulnerable and nervous. I hadn't seen him like this before and it made my heart flip.

"Bella, I know this is crazy, I can see it's freaking you out. But please just let me say something okay?" He looked at me, his eyes were pleading with me to let him finish and I nodded. That was all I could do, I couldn't speak, not if I wanted to. I was having enough trouble holding it together enough to maintain breathing.

Was Edward Cullen about to propose?

_Hell yeah he is baby._

He took a deep breath. "Bella, I know you think I'm being crazy. We've only been together six months and for three of those I never got to see you, but I love you...I've been in love with you since that first night in the bar. You are like no one I've ever met and I've wanted to do this for so long. I bought the ring in London and I was going to ask you as soon as I got back...but I thought I'd freak you out. I planned to do it the week after Caitlyns party, I'd arranged a romantic meal and carriage ride in the park...but all that shit went down with James and I couldn't. Then when we went to LA, I booked that extra night at the hotel, I had a private dinner booked on our balcony and was going to do it then. I even started to do it when you were hung over, I was just about to kneel down when my sister started pounding on the door. I took it as a sign from the God's that I wasn't meant to do it so soon, so I decided to wait. Until now." He paused and looked, gauging my reaction.

My hands were still clutching the box tightly, I was still staring at the ring, staring at Edward, almost hyperventilating at his words. He held my hands and started talking again.

"Bella, I talked to Alice. She told me how little you always expected from your life and how you always assumed you'd never get your happily ever after. You deserve that, Bella, and I want to be the one to give it too you. Will you let me?" He stopped again and waited.

_HELL YES WE WILL! Mrs. Delicious sounds good to me._

My heart was screaming in unison with Inner Bella, but unbelievably I found myself shaking my head.

_What? Don't you dare say no. What are you doing? Mr. Delicious is proposing, you moron._

When he saw my response Edward's face fell and his eyes dropped to the floor, I could see I'd hurt him.

"Edward," I whispered, tears running down my cheeks. "Edward, I love you. I love you so much. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be and I wouldn't want to be with anyone else except you...it's just after everything that's happened over these past seven years, I realised that 'Happily Ever After' is too far ahead. The only thing I want is 'Happy Right Now' and you don't need to propose to give me that, Edward. You already have." I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. When I pulled back slightly I could see him looking at me. He smiled, but it was a tentative, calculative smile.

"Happy right now?" he asked and I nodded. "I can do that. In fact can I make a suggestion?" He didn't wait for my reply. He moved closer, he was still kneeling, but was only inches from my face. "How does 'happy right now, for the rest of our lives sound?" He didn't move his face, but I felt his hand release mine and pick the ring out of the box which was still tight in my grasp.

I smiled, I wasn't saying no this time. I couldn't, I wanted to say yes. "That sounds pretty good."

He smiled, his usual smile, it lit up his eyes. He took my left hand and hovered the ring over my third finger hesitantly. "How does happy right now, for the rest of our lives as Mrs. Isabella Cullen sound?"

"Perfect," I croaked and he slid the ring down my finger kissing me passionately as he did.

_Wow, you are going to be Mr. Delicious' wife. Wow_.

Yes, I had been reverted back to one word syllables again. But under the circumstances, I considered myself lucky that I could think of anything at all.

It was almost five when we tried to get some sleep. Edward didn't have seem to have much difficulty, his soft breathing right by my ear told me he was gone just minutes after he closed his eyes. I on the other hand was more awake than I'd ever been in my life. I looked down at the ring, moving my finger from side to side and watched it sparkle in the light coming in from the window. I couldn't believe this was actually happening to me.

Last Christmas, Alice, Angela ,and I had spent the day in our apartment, eating a Christmas lunch delivered by a catering company. It was perfectly nice; we had spent the evening watching TV with a bottle of wine. In fact I even remembered we watched a video of Zeus at one point and all three of us had begun to drool shamelessly at the guys. Now here I was, one year later, in bed with Edward, in our apartment with a huge rock on my finger. To add to what appeared to be too good to be true, James knew where I was, knew I was involved with Edward and he was nowhere to be found. He wasn't making my life a living hell anymore, could this all be happening?

I was still looking at my hand when Edward spoke.

"If you don't like it, I can change it?" He kissed my shoulder. I hadn't realised he was even awake.

"Absolutely not! I love it, Edward. I can't believe you've had this since you came home." I put my hand down and rolled to face him.

"I didn't intend to buy it, we were shopping in London and Caitlyn dragged us into this quirky jewellery store. I was looking around and then I saw it. Rose saw me looking and helped cover for me when I wanted to buy it. No one else knew I even bought it, well aside from Alice." I could just about see his face, there were no lights on but the huge windows allowed some light from the outside to illuminate his silhouette. I could tell he was smiling, I could hear it in his voice.

"Alice? Why did you tell Alice?" I wondered, secretly amazed that she had been able to keep quiet about it.

"I called her from the store, I didn't know what size your finger was."

"How on earth did Alice find that out?" I had never been shopping for rings with Alice before and I certainly couldn't remember any conversations which had included a discussion of ring sizes.

"She knew you sometimes wore your mother's wedding band. She fished it out from your room and measured it." He laughed a little. "I had to go to the man in the store and tell him that it was about the same width as a tube of breath mints. I think he thought I was a crazy fool but it would seem Alice's own way of measuring worked. It fits perfectly." He kissed my nose softly. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too."

While we were waiting for Emmett and Rose to pick us up, I sent text messages to both Alice and Angela to wish them Happy Christmas and of course tell them that Edward had proposed. Even though it was before five n the morning in Seattle, Alice texted back immediately. I could almost hear the squeals she would no doubt have made the second she read the text.

Oh thank god he's finally done it. It's been driving me mad not being able to say anything. Congratulations, Bella, I'm so happy for you. I'll ring you tonight and you can tell me all about it, I want to hear every word! The folks love Jazz, but I knew they would. Wish Edward a happy Christmas for me chick. Love ya x

Emmett and Rose arrived a little after eight and we went straight downstairs to meet them. Edward had sent Felix home after we got back to the apartment last night and I had insisted that my father call off his troops just for today. Peter was at the house with Edward's family so we weren't without protection.

We climbed into the back of the car and Rose looked at Edward expectantly. "Merry Christmas you two." She grinned and cast another look at Edward.

"So, Bella, Edward was supposed to ask you if you could help Mom make some of those Yorkshire Puddings, they were awesome. I've been trying to get Mom and Rose to make them, but they don't taste the same. You wouldn't mind would you?" Emmett asked as he began to manoeuvre his way through the city. "Edward raved about yours, said they were better than the ones we had in England."

"No pressure then?" I teased and Emmett laughed.

"So have you two exchanged gifts?" Rose asked, clearly she was dying to know if Edward had actually asked me yet.

"Yeah, we did it last night after Bella finished work. She got me a pick and had it engraved, it's great. I've brought it with me so I'll show you at the house," Edward said casually.

"What did you get, Bella?"Rose turned around in her seat to face me and I glanced nervously at Edward.

He grinned at my obvious reluctance and answered on my behalf. "I got her a jewellery box, one like she had as a kid and then I asked her to marry me," he said it so matter of factly that I couldn't help but giggle. Rose clapped her hands excitedly and Emmett almost choked on a mouthful of coffee he was drinking as he drove.

"You proposed? Already? Shit you don't waste your time," Emmett said quietly..

"Aw, babe, don't worry I won't get any ideas." Rose laughed. "I take it you said yes, Bella?"

"Yes, of course I did." I smiled widely.

"That's wonderful, guys. Let me see the ring again." She held her hand out and I lifted mine so she could see.

"Again?" Emmett looked at her in confusion. "How come you've already seen it?"

"Rose helped me buy it in London," Edward answered.

"London? You bought that in London? Wow, you do like to do things quickly." Emmett looked shocked. "Jeez."

"Stop being a grouch, Emmett." Rose said without looking at him, she told me the ring was perfect and finally released my hand.

"So, Rose, what did my romantic brother buy you?" Edward joked.

"Well he bought me a new car back in LA, I can't wait to drive it. Honestly, Bella, it's fabulous. I thought that was it but he surprised me this morning with a watch, it's Cartier." She held out her right hand and showed me. It was pretty; it had a sapphire encrusted elongated face and a simple but obviously expensive leather strap.

_Pah, did she see the rock on your finger? Who cares about being able to tell the time? The only time we care about is - Straddle O'Clock.'_

"That's lovely, Rose." I sat back and listened as Edward and Rose discussed the new car. The hum of the engine and the fact that I had no sleep last night meant I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

I couldn't fight the tiredness for long, I barely remembered leaving Manhattan before I succumbed.

A/N Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D

Is that why you figured he was going to do in LA?

Thanks to the very inconvenient death of my laptop the updates may not come as frequently :/ I have all the story prewritten, but each chapter needs editing and I'm having to battle the predictive text, teeny keyboard & small screen of my iPhone to do it *le sigh*

Until I get a replacement this is the only way I can edit so please bear with me!

I apologise for any errors I blame them all on my phone! ;)

More soon

Katy

Xx


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 - Two Weddings and a Baby**

**BPOV**

Edward woke me gently as we pulled into the driveway at his parent's house. I looked at the decorations outside and smiled. Despite the fact it was pouring down with rain, it still felt "Christmassy". There was a trim of fairy lights around the roof line, and a motorised reindeer and Father Christmas by the entrance. A thick, green wreath with a red velvet bow in the centre hung on the front door. In fact, all it needed was a dusting of snow on the ground and this would have been a hallmark moment. It wasn't elaborate or tacky, just pretty and festive.

As soon as we stepped through the door Caitlyn was upon us, shrieking excitedly about the gifts she had been given by her parents. I could barely understand a word she was saying. She tried to drag us into the lounge to open what was left but Edward stopped her and we waited in the hall for Carlisle and Esme. I could smell the vegetables cooking and the meat roasting in the oven. Those smells, mixed with the aroma of a real tree somewhere in the house epitomised Christmas. It reminded me so much of home that it made my chest ache but also made me smile at the same time.

"Merry Christmas everyone." Esme appeared and hugged us all tightly. "It's wonderful you all came. Bella, honey, how are you? I hope you don't mind helping me in the kitchen?"

"Of course not." I smiled and tried to return her hug but my hand was being clutched tightly by Edward and it made it a little awkward.

We hovered talking for several minutes. Carlisle was asking about Felix and if we'd heard anything further from James. Edward began to update his father on the latest information, courtesy of my dad. I didn't want to listen, not today, so I looked around the house and I noticed more decorations. The banister was trimmed with a faux pine garland, complete with fairy lights and sprinkles of fake snow covered some of the needles. The fresh tree that I could smell was situated in the lounge, it was huge and full of deep green foliage. There was an assortment of gifts underneath the tree but instead of being decorated with perfectly organised baubles and other accessories, it was covered with what appeared to be home-made ones. I took a step towards it to have a closer look but as I did Esme spoke.

"Bella, could we just make a start on the mix? I thought we could get it ready to go and then open the presents." She smiled warmly.

It was like looking into a female version of Edward; the green eyes and dazzling smile. She must have taught her son the gift of "dazzlement" as soon as she could, because clearly she was just as much of an expert as he was.

_Hail to the master, we thank you, Queen Esme, for breeding and nurturing Mr. Delicious. We would share with you just how fantastic he is, but as that conversation would involve his straddability you probably wouldn't want to hear._

I nodded and pried my hand out of Edward's. As soon as I moved the huge diamond caught the light and twinkled. Caitlyn immediately noticed and jumped forward to snatch up my hand.

"What's that?" She looked closely at the ring and then grinned. "Are you two engaged? Did Edward ask you to marry him? Mom, look at Bella's ring."

I nodded and smiled back. Finding myself embarrassed at the attention again, Edward stepped forward and took charge.

"Yeah I asked her last night." He smiled so proudly and looked at me so lovingly that I felt a little emotional and I had a huge lump in my throat.

_Seriously. woman you need help._

"That's wonderful, you two. Congratulations," Esme gushed and moved to look at my ring. Carlisle congratulated us too, but I saw Emmett looking slightly irritated again and he walked silently into the lounge. Rose rolled her eyes and stalked after him growling at him to stop sulking.

Esme, Caitlyn, and I went to the kitchen so I could start on the mix for the Yorkshire Puddings. As I worked and told Esme what to do, Caitlyn insisted I tell them every detail of Edward's proposal. I stuttered and stammered my way through it and cringed at all the, "ah" noises that were coming from the others. It's not that I was in any way ashamed that Edward and I were engaged, I just didn't like being the center of attention. I was used to Edward being the main attraction whenever we were in public and I was happy with that. Happy to blend in.

As soon as I was finished with both the tale and the mix Caitlyn demanded we go and open the gifts. She took Esme and I by the hand and dragged us to the lounge. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle were sitting down watching TV and let out a groan as Caitlyn switched it off.

"Presents, please. I've been dying to open them all morning."

I made a beeline straight for the Christmas tree to have a look at the unusual decorations. They were home-made—home-made by Emmett, Edward, and Caitlyn. There were Christmas Crackers, cut out paper stars, hanging snowmen and Santa's made from clay, paper chains covered in glitter and baubles made from painted plastic golf balls. It was wonderful.

Edward saw me looking and followed me over. He rested his chin on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Mom would have us make decoration after decoration every year. She kept them all and used them instead of the more traditional ones."

"It's perfect." I smiled.

_Do this when you have Edward's babies. And before you start puffing and panting like you do when you think about anything further ahead than next week, I did indeed say babies. We want three mini boy Edwards and one mini girl Edward. You can't change my mind, I have names planned and the colour code for their nursery all mapped out in my head._

Edward had insisted that he would take care of the gifts for his family, and when I saw what they had bought for each other I was relieved. Edward and Emmett had got together and arranged for their parent's to have a long weekend away in Rome and also booked tickets for them to see the opera.

_Yep, definitely a good idea that you let him do that. A bottle of Chanel can't exactly compare with first class flights to Rome._

Clearly, arranging holidays for each other was a standard gift for the Cullen's. We were given a voucher for a holiday to the Maldives. It covered flights and accommodation; we just needed to arrange the dates. I was dumbfounded. There was a small brochure accompanying the voucher and the resort looked incredible. We would have our own private villa, complete with infinity pool, spa room and alfresco two person bath. The villa was beach front and completely private. This would have cost thousands and thousands of dollars, but I had to admit I was too excited at the prospect of two weeks away with Edward in paradise to even begin to worry about the money.

_Can we book to go December 27th?_

Emmett and Rose received a holiday too, honestly I was too busy looking at the pictures in the brochure and fantasizing about the Maldives to listen to where they would be going. But I was certain it would be somewhere just as fabulous as this.

After we were done with the presents Edward sat back down on one of the chairs and sat me on his knee. He started to talk about dates we could go on our vacation when Emmett stood up and cleared his throat.

"Guys, Rose and I have something we want to tell you." He waved Rose to come and stand beside him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they smiled nervously at each other. "Rose is pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

As he spoke the nervous smiles on their faces became beaming grins and the room was engulfed in squeals of excitement from Esme and Caitlyn. Emmett waited until they had quietened down before continuing.

"We only found out last week, so besides you guys, the only people we'll be telling are Rose's folks. We thought it would be a nice surprise to tell you today." He nodded to say he was done and then everyone surged forward to hug them.

Edward looked thrilled and he congratulated his brother with a big slap on the back and a hug. I did the same (minus the slap on the back). We talked about when Rose was due and how she was feeling for the next few minutes. After that, Esme asked for my help in the kitchen again. I followed after her and we spent a little while talking about the fact she was going to be a grandmother.

"I've been looking forward to this for years." She beamed. "It does remind me how old I'm getting of course, but still it's lovely that both of my boys are so happy."

I thanked her for the gift again and she smiled. "Carlisle and I thought you needed a break. It's not somewhere James could ever follow you, Bella. You and Edward could go there and be completely alone for a change. There would be no need for Felix or anyone else to come with you. I know how hard this must be for you and we wanted to help." She peeked in the oven and clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooh they look fantastic. I have to admit, you have created a monster, Bella. Ever since Edward told Emmett about those puddings you made for him and insisted we try them in your step-father's pub, he hasn't stopped pestering Rose and I to make them. We've tried buying them readymade, used recipes online but none of them tasted anything like those we had in England."

I laughed nervously. "I hope these are up to scratch then. It was my mother's recipe"

"Of course they will be. I've already tried them remember?" Edward had drifted into the kitchen and he moved to my side. "Poor Rose, Caitlyn hasn't stopped talking about being an aunt yet."

Esme laughed. "With that and you two getting engaged, I doubt she'll sleep for days. She's so excitable, nothing like you or your brother. So, have you two thought about a date yet?"

"Steady on, Mom. I almost gave her a heart attack just asking. It's probably not a wise move to start talking dates and dresses just yet." Edward laughed and I rolled my eyes.

He was right though, I wasn't quite ready for the final step. Did I love him? Yes. Did I want to marry him? Absolutely. But I wanted to be able to marry him without worrying about James Hunter, and for the moment I was hopeful but not convinced he was gone for good.

"Well, Rose will be thrilled you're not planning anything for this year. She'll probably want to be back to her fabulous best for when you do get married. Although I will promise you that Caitlyn will be asking you continuously until you decide," Esme warned light-heartedly.

As soon as my dish was ready we were all ordered to the table. We were joined by Peter who I had almost forgotten was even in the house. The dining room was dressed perfectly. The long table was covered in a deep red tablecloth with a gold runner down the middle. The red napkins at each place setting were folded into Swans and there was an ice bucket complete with a bottle of champagne beside Carlisle's chair.

As everyone took their seats I heard Rose gasp loudly. I looked up and saw her staring open-mouthed at the napkin in front of her. "Is that f-f-f-for m-m-me?" she stuttered and her hand moved towards her napkin. I looked down and around the neck of the swan was a beautiful engagement ring.

_Look at that, these boys can choose their rings well can't they?_

Emmett nodded and picked it up. "Yeah. I was planning to do this anyway, but now things have changed. I want you to have our baby as my wife, Rose. Will you marry me?"

Carlisle looked stunned, Esme was just smiling proudly. She must have been in on the plan, she did set the table after all.

Everyone waited for Rosalie to answer. She had tears running down her face but she also had the biggest smile I'd ever seen. "Yes, Emmett, of course I will." She let him put the ring on her finger and then she threw her arms around his neck.

Edward laughed and Caitlyn squealed again. It was certainly a big day for the Cullen family. Two engagements and a grandchild on the way.

"Hey, guys, I'm sorry to steal your moment. I had this planned for weeks; before I knew Rose was even pregnant." Emmett looked at Edward apologetically but Edward laughed it off.

"Don't be stupid, Em. Besides, I'm sure Bella's thrilled to have some of the heat back on Rose. It's brilliant news, but I think we've aged Dad about ten years." He stood up and reached over to shake his brother's hand.

After a few more rounds of congratulations, Carlisle popped the cork and poured everyone a glass of champagne—Caitlyn and Peter had soda. After a quick toast we began to eat. I looked around anxiously before I started on mine, nervously waiting for the reactions of everyone else. Thankfully my dish seemed to go down a treat. I received a, "God these are good," from Emmett who spoke at the same time as he stuffed another forkful into his mouth. Everyone else seemed equally enthusiastic and I relaxed.

The conversation inevitably focused on weddings and babies. Rosalie and Emmett wanted to get married before the baby was born and as Rose was a model, she wanted to get married while she still had her figure. The talk focused on designers, venues and planners. The men quickly lost interest and they began talking sports. I felt out of place, I was clueless when it came to designers and couldn't contribute anything to the conversation. Unfortunately, I knew even less about sports and that pretty much left me sat there in silence. My mind began to drift away, thinking about my wedding.

_Eh, what do you mean my wedding? Don't you dare forget about me, this is our big day_.

Okay, so I thought about our wedding. I knew that Rose and Emmett would no doubt be having a most extravagant affair. But that wasn't me. I thought back to that morning on Edward's balcony when I looked down on Central Park and imagined an intimate ceremony with a small get together afterwards at the Boat House. That was still what I wanted, a quiet ceremony perhaps in Shakespeare Gardens, just those who really mattered would be there. I didn't want to throw a huge party for people I barely knew, people who I probably wouldn't see again for years to come. I wouldn't look like a huge meringue and wear an awful garland of flowers around my head, I wanted simple.

_If you do it soon you could use the gift from his parents as your honeymoon. There would have to be straddling then, it's legally required for all couples to bonk like rabbits on their honeymoon and it would be so idyllic right?_

I was just letting my mind drift off to the holiday and imagining two weeks of just Edward and I together, alone, frolicking, naked, straddling...

"You alright?" Edward leaned close and whispered in my ear and I felt his hand squeeze my leg.

I smiled and nodded, not wanting to appear miserable I forced myself to join in with the conversation which had now evolved to Caitlyn's bridesmaid dress.

_Act happy, Bella. It's Christmas Day, you are sitting with your fiancé, having dinner with his family and there has been no sign of James for weeks now. Life is good right?_

I sighed internally, of course life was good. Life was bloody fantastic actually, yet I was still managing to bring myself down.

"Well this has been a wonderful day." Esme smiled as we sat down in the lounge. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle had ordered us all away while they took care of tidying up the kitchen. "I'm so glad everyone's here."

"Thank you for having me, Esme. I've loved being here with you." I smiled and she nodded.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Rose doze off. Caitlyn saw it too and she grinned.

"It's so exciting. When are you and Edward going to have a baby?" She looked at me hopefully and I let out a hysterical shriek.

Esme laughed quietly. "Goodness, Caitlyn, I think one grandchild is enough." She looked at me and winked. "For now."

I smiled, although it probably looked more like I was in pain. The sort of smile, quickly faded as Caitlyn started quizzing me about weddings again.

"When do you want to get married, Bella? I bet Edward can't wait, he always said that the only ring he would ever wear would be his wedding ring. I bet Irina would love to do your dress, you'd be so pretty as a bride." She sat waiting for me to respond and I groaned. I wasn't ready to talk weddings just yet, but no one intervened. Esme had slipped out of the room and Rose was still sleeping.

When I didn't say anything Caitlyn continued anyway, "Would you have a big wedding? I bet you don't. I can totally see you guys running off to get married in secret. If you do I'll never speak to you again." She barely paused for breath and then proceeded to describe every minute detail of her dream wedding.

Luckily after five minutes of incessant talking, Edward and the rest of his family came back into the lounge. Emmett sat on the floor by Rosalie's head and Edward draped himself on the arm of the chair I was sat in and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Caitlyn, you'd better not talk weddings while Rose is asleep. She'd hate to miss the fun," Emmett joked.

"Do you mind if we stay here tonight?" Edward whispered, resting his cheek on the top of my head. "We can head home in the morning with Em and Rose."

I shook my head, I was in no rush to get home. It was nice to feel part of a family again. "No it's fine, just shield me from your sister. She keeps talking about weddings and dresses and babies."

"Yeah, Mom said she was quizzing you about our wedding. Is the idea that terrifying?" he teased but I could hear the underlying uncertainty in his voice.

"The idea of marrying you isn't the scary thing. Your sister on the other hand..." I laughed as I trailed off.

As the afternoon wore on, Edward had slowly manoeuvred himself so he had taken up the majority of the room in the chair. I was now sitting across his lap. No one even gave us a second glance and I let myself snuggle as close to him as I could.

Emmett and Rose were delighted at the idea of becoming parents; they discussed different hospitals in both New York and LA. They hadn't decided where to have the baby yet and when the word 'labour' came up I cringed as Esme began to talk about actually giving birth. Even Carlisle joined in enthusiastically. He gushed about how wonderful it was to witness your child coming into the world and by the time he stopped talking Rose had turned a pale shade of green and had begged for the subject to be changed.

I learned that another family tradition was to watch the old home videos of the Cullen's. I loved seeing Edward as a baby and then as a child. He was adorable and had the same wild hair throughout his childhood.

A full night without any sleep took its toll on Edward and his eyes began to droop as early as nine. We ignored Caitlyn's protests and made our way upstairs. As staying over for the night hadn't been part of the plan, I had no clean clothes, toothbrush or even a hairbrush. Edward flopped onto the bed and patted the space next to him. I climbed beside him and lay on my front looking at him.

"Thank you," he murmured and shuffled down the bed, closer to me.

"For what?" I asked.

"Everything." He rolled onto his side and kissed my neck. "For coming here, for showing Mom your kick ass recipe, for saying yes. For being you."

I could barely focus, his lips always had that effect on me, I managed a pathetic whimper in acknowledgement.

"I'm sorry if Caitlyn freaked you out. I'm not pressuring you into anything. I'd marry you tonight but there's no rush, Bella, I'll wait until you're ready to get married." He paused and then smiled his wonderful, dazzling smile. "Just out of curiosity, what would your dream wedding be?"

I smiled back. "Something small. No big fuss. I don't think getting married is about showing the world how much you're in love. It's about showing each other."

Edward rolled over me and kissed my nose. "Glad we're on the same page." He began to kiss me again and then he jumped up quickly. "I need a shower and I know you'll want one so I think we should conserve water and take one together."

"I have no clean clothes, no toothbrush and no make-up," I grumbled as I let him tow me towards the bathroom.

"You can use my toothbrush, you're perfect without make-up, and tonight the only thing you need to wear, is this." He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my ring.

**EPOV**

I wanted to stand on the balcony and announce to all of Manhattan that she said yes like a complete pansy. In twenty seven years I had never felt as nervous. Performing to tens of thousands of people for the first time had been bad, but nothing in comparison to last night.

For one awful minute I thought Bella was going to say no. But she hadn't, she'd said yes and I was happy, pathetically and deliriously so in fact.

I knew that although she had said yes, she wasn't ready to actually get married right now. I hadn't been entirely honest with her when I said I was happy to wait. I wanted it to be sooner rather than later but Bella needed time and I was going to give it to her.

When I woke up the next morning, Bella was still fast asleep. I watched her for a few minutes and then went downstairs. Everyone else beside my Mom was still in bed. I joined her in the kitchen, she was sat at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee. As soon as she saw me she poured a second cup.

"Morning sweetheart. Bella, still asleep?" She smiled and I sat beside her.

"Yeah." I took a sip of coffee, looking out onto the garden. It was cold and the clouds were dark with the impending rain. "Big day yesterday huh?" I turned back to Mom.

"You can say that again. I knew about your brother planning to propose. I helped him set up the napkins, but you certainly took me by surprise and the baby news just topped it off." She looked a little smug. "A fantastic surprise I should add, Edward. I'm really happy for the two of you."

"I bought the ring in London. I chickened out a few times and then when we were in LA things didn't go to plan so I put it on the back burner for a while. It was nerve wracking." I grinned. "So how's Dad taking to being a grandpa?"

She laughed, "We're excited, both of us have been quietly waiting for this to happen for a while now. He's just relieved it's Emmett and not Caitlyn."

Emmett appeared about 7:30am, the biggest smile I'd ever seen was plastered on his face. He almost skipped around the kitchen to grab some coffee. "We were thinking about heading back at Lunch. Rose wants to fly out to LA and tell her parents. That alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah fine."

"Is Rose feeling okay?" my mom asked as she made a start on breakfast.

"She's just taking a shower," Emmett replied and hovered over Mom's shoulder while she cooked the bacon. "She's not been too bad yet with sickness."

I was about to head back upstairs to wake Bella when I heard her voice on the stairs. It would appear my sister had beaten me to it. She emerged in the kitchen with a very tired looking Bella. She smiled sleepily at me and stood close to my side.

"Morning." I bent and kissed her. "Did my irritating little sister wake you up?" She didn't say anything but the smile on her face told me she had. "We're heading back at lunch, you look really tired." I stroked the dark shadows under her eyes and she frowned.

"Well, somebody keeps me awake at night," she muttered.

We ate breakfast together and as Rose started on the subject of weddings again I saw Bella's eyes mist over. She looked sad, I didn't say anything at the table, but I kept her hand tightly in mine and took her upstairs as soon as we'd finished.

"What's wrong, Bella?" I sat her on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her.

"I'm just having a moment." She tried to smile.

"Tell me."

"I just wish my mum was here, so I could tell her how I am." She sighed. "I feel guilty I suppose."

I looked at her in confusion. "Guilty? Why?"

"Well, if she was still here then I would never have met you. I only moved over to Seattle because she died. I feel guilty that I'm happy when she isn't even here anymore." She took a deep breath.

I lifted her chin with my finger. "She was your mother, Bella. I'm sure she would want you to be happy, to carry on with your life and not feel guilty because of what happened."

She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, moving her forehead to rest on mine. "I really miss her. She was my best friend and I would have loved her to meet you and know that I was doing great."

I felt for her, a daughter needed a mother for so much. Rosalie was downstairs gushing about how she couldn't wait to start planning things and how excited her own mother would be. Bella wouldn't get that, she wouldn't get to plan her wedding with her mom, nor would she ever be able to go to her for baby advice or anything else.

"She'll know you're good, Bella, I promise." I kissed her softly and we hid upstairs for the rest of the morning.

We said our goodbyes to our parents and sister after lunch and I drove us back to the City. Rose and Bella were sat in the back and as soon as we were on our way Rose had immediately started talking weddings and asked when we were planning to get married. I had to stifle a laugh at Bella's exasperated expression but she deftly avoided the question and turned the focus quickly back onto Rose and Emmett's plans.

"Well, I think we're going to try and organise it for Valentine's Day." Rose giggled, "We want to do it before the baby comes in August and I certainly don't want to waddle down the aisle with an ass the size of a small country. February fourteenth gives us plenty of time to sort things out and it's a romantic day right?" She looked at Bella for approval.

Bella smiled politely but I could tell she wasn't overly keen. Rose didn't notice and she carried on telling her what she wanted. As soon as we arrived home I asked Bella about her reaction to when the wedding was being planned for.

"What's the big deal with Rose and Emmett getting married on Valentine's Day?"

"I don't have a problem with their wedding being on that day, but I'm not a fan of it myself." She shrugged casually. "I never understood the hype. Why do you need a special day of the year to tell someone you love them? Surely you can make every day special without the need for buying overpriced flowers and chocolates just to keep up with the masses."

I sighed. "So no flowers on Valentine's Day?"

"No flowers full stop." She looked at me sadly. "I've had enough flowers delivered to last me a lifetime."

"Right. Something else James ruined for you huh?" We lay down on the bed. "Does he have anything to do with your intolerance to Valentine's Day?"

"Actually no, that one is all me." She grinned at me. "If you want to impress me, Edward, just surprise me with something romantic and private on another date. Something completely random. Not an anniversary, birthday or holiday."

I laughed. "Gotcha. Surprise you with something romantic on a non specific date." An errant thought flew into my mind and I winked at her. "I've got one already."

She rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised. It had better be original."

"I think I might surprise you again." I dropped the subject and began planning my next move.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D**

**Again, edited using my phone so I apologise for any errors!**

**Happy Friday :)**

Xx


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31 - New Year, New Start.**

**BPOV**

The next few days after Christmas were quiet and we didn't venture from the apartment much. The weather remained miserable and cold and we were pretty much the only ones in our group of friends left in the city. I had to brave the wrath of my father once again and tell him that Edward and I were engaged. I thought back to the telephone conversation we'd had, his response had been immediate and predictable.

"He'd better not have gotten you pregnant, Bella."

"Dad, please, of course I'm not pregnant. I'd better not get a lecture from you about this. I remember when you and Amelia first met. You moved her straight into the house and proposed just three weeks later." I could feel the anger building. There was one thing I hated and that was hypocrisy.

"Honey, that's different, I'm so much older than you." Dad had tried to fight back but I laughed sarcastically in response.

"Yeah, you were older. Amelia, on the other hand, is my age. Just accept the fact that I love Edward and he makes me happy. Surely that's all that matters, right? You let Mum walk away and you never got over it, do you really want me to go through that?"

He couldn't really argue that and he said nothing else on the subject. He did go on to explain that after James had landed in London, he hadn't been seen. Dad had people over in England trying to find him and I knew what their instructions would be the second they did come across him. My dad had always made it clear that should he ever find him, he would not hesitate to kill him. I tried not to think about that. I wanted James Hunter dead without a shadow of a doubt, but I hated that someone else was risking getting hurt, getting caught, or worse. The best outcome to this would be James' death to be at his own hand; a car accident, suicide, or even a rare medical condition. At least that way I wouldn't feel responsible for someone else being dead. Edward didn't understand exactly, he couldn't see what difference it would make if James was shot by one of my father's men, struck down with plague, or if he got wiped out by a drunk driver but to me it was simple. If he was killed directly because of me, then I would have to live with that, the guilt of being the reason why someone else was dead. It would give James an intrusion into my life even after he was gone. I'd had enough trying to deal with the loss of my mother and then being the reason Jake had almost died, I wanted James out of my life for good.

_Yeah, right, like that's ever going to happen._

Alice was home for New Year's Eve and we all met at Art's for a celebratory drink before my shift started. The second we stepped through the door, she darted to my side to have a look at the ring.

"Oh my God, that's frickin' huge. Talk about staking your claim, Edward, no one could miss the fact that Bella's spoken for with that thing." She dropped my hand and gave me a hug. "I'm really happy for you, chick. You just better not forget that I'm your oldest friend and have first refusal on the position of maid of honour. We can go to Vegas for your bachelorette party. That'd be a blast."

"Don't get too excited about that yet, Alice. We're not getting married any time soon," I warned her. Once Alice got something in her head, she was a nightmare. If I let her get too far ahead of herself she'd end up booking the flights and hotel by the end of the night.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see. If I remember rightly, you weren't going to let anything happen with Edward after that night you first met. Now look at you. I'll bet you my years' pay that this time next year you two will be married and discussing babies." She snorted and turned her attention onto Edward. "Nice move, Edward, I'm glad you finally strapped on a pair and asked her. You have no idea how hard it was to keep my mouth shut."

"I know, I know," Edward grumbled. "You women are lucky. You have no idea how terrifying it is."

"I'd take that any day, we have to deal with pregnancy, childbirth, periods, and the pressures of being the intelligent sex," Alice retorted. "It must be tough to worry about a once-in-a-lifetime proposal and the occasional woody in an inappropriate place."

"Calm down there, Germaine Greer," Jasper dared to mock Alice and he quickly realised his mistake. She shot him the dirtiest look, forcing Jasper to quickly back out of the ditch he'd just landed himself in. "I was just trying to be funny, Al. Come on, you have to admit you did go on a bit of a feminist rant there."

"You've got some major ass kissing to do tonight, Jazz, or I'll be kissing Seth at midnight." Alice turned to me and started telling me about Christmas with her parents. She beamed as she spoke about them and I felt a pang of guilt. She had barely seen her mum and dad since we left Seattle. They were as wonderful as she had been. They never appeared to resent me for taking their daughter away, but it was nice that now they had the chance to spend as much time together without worrying about James.

I was working upstairs and Art, being the wonderful boss he was, had closed the pool bar to everyone except the guys from Zeus and their friends. Invited along tonight were of course Edward, Alice, and Jazz. Angela and Ben had returned from Miami so they came to spend the night with us. Then we had Seth, Garrett, Johnny and he had brought along a few of his "friends" as well. Emmett and Rose even flew in from LA to see in the New Year. Rose was a little on the grumpy side, she was doing everything she should while pregnant and no alcohol was the one thing giving her the most trouble.

Johnny's "friends" just happened to be tall, scantily-clad, leggy blondes with as much brainpower as a teacup. They had irritating high-pitched voices and enough silicone and Botox in their bodies to make them more doll than human. Edward and the rest of the guys were playing pool leaving Alice, Angela, Rose, and I to contend with Candy and Jade

"So, how do you two know Johnny?" Rose asked.

We had a small wager going about their relationship. Rose was going for aspiring singers who were more than happy to sleep their way to a record deal. Alice assumed they were the kiss-and-tell girls and were taking on Johnny to gain as much money as they could for their next poor acquisition. I merely went for them being over-easy girls who would do pretty much anything to be seen with the right people. There were plenty of girls around who made more money than some actresses, just by showing up at the right parties and then doing the typical reality shows which allowed the viewer access to pretty much every detail of their lives. There was no money involved in the bet; it was just a friendly competition.

"He's our manager. He's hoping to get us signed to the same label as Zeus." I wasn't going to try and tell which was Candy and which was Jade, so I just called them Barbie1 and Barbie2. Rose smiled smugly and cleared her throat loudly.

"You're in a band?" Alice sniggered. "What kind of music do you play?"

Barbie2 grinned proudly. "We're mainly pop. We haven't got any of our own songs yet, but the most popular covers we do are _Barbie Girl_ and _Betty Boo Doin' the Do_."

"Wow, two absolute classics." Alice was barely containing her laughter, but Barbie1 and Barbie2 took her smirks as a positive reaction.

"Thanks, we love to sing and hopefully by mingling with the guys here tonight, they might invite us to go on tour with them next year," Barbie1 gushed.

"You know, I could totally see _Barbie Girl_ going down a treat with the rock fans that go and see Zeus." Somehow I managed to keep a straight face as I spoke. "Hey, you should get up and do a number at some point tonight. They're all really great guys and you'd know straight away what they thought, eh?"

"Oh, that's an awesome idea! If they see us perform, it might even work in our favour. We were hoping to see in the New Year with one of them, can you imagine what we'd be able to sell the story for if we got to screw them on New Year's Eve?" Barbie2 only reinforced my earlier statement about their lack of brainpower. "I can't even begin to imagine how incredible they look naked."

See this finger, see that thumb. See this fist? You'll get some. Bitch.

Before I got the chance to say something, Rose beat me to it. "You might want to keep statements like that to yourself. FYI, two of those guys are engaged to two women that are standing in this room, so unless you want to be sporting a broken nose, I suggest you keep your mouth shut."

"Well, that still leaves two of them, right?" Barbie1 seemed to barely even notice what Rose said, perhaps because she was looking at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar.

I rolled my eyes and had to take a step away. This was the worst part of being involved with someone like Edward; other people seemed to think of him as a piece of meat.

Well he does have a rather fabulous piece of rump and a humdinger of a sausage.

Just the thought of his "meat" made me trail my eyes over my fiancé, who was very sexily bent over the table, giving me a very fantastic view of the aforementioned "rump". I paid no attention to Barbie1 and 2, who were still being set upon by Rose. I was in my element watching Edward.

Watching? No, no, no, Bella. You watch a movie. When you look at Edward you're ogling, leering, drooling, and panting...Need I go on?

I remained in the same spot for a good five minutes. Edward was moving around the table, his concentration on the game was obvious and he had his focus firmly fixed on the balls.

_Us, too, Mr. Delicious, us, too_.

"Earth to Bella? Anyone at home in there?" Angela giggled. "Would you mind getting me another beer?"

I grinned back at her and pulled a bottle from the fridge. "Sorry, I can't seem to control myself when he's in the room."

"I think it's lovely, Bella. It's crazy, though, how much things have changed, for the better of course. I mean, this time last year, you and I were single, Alice and Jazz were still in denial, and now look at us. We're all living with our boyfriends, you're engaged to Edward Cullen, and you don't have to worry about James anymore."

I sighed, if only that were true. For most of the people around me, they thought James was finally out of the picture. Angela, Rose, Emmett, and even Edward to a certain extent, had taken his words in the letter as the truth. For those of us who had lived with James in our lives, well, we were not convinced. Alice, Dad, and I remained skeptical. I knew he was out there somewhere, not necessarily in New York, but he wasn't the type to give up. He had been relentless for seven goddamn years, and there was no way he would just give it all up. I was certain we would be hearing from him again, maybe in a day, a week, a month or even a year, but he certainly wasn't gone for good.

The Barbies had tired of Rose's lecture and wandered over towards Johnny, who was playing pool with Seth. I pulled up a chair behind the bar and listened as Alice cooed over Rosalie's wedding plans. Rose had miraculously managed to secure the Plaza Hotel here in Manhattan. Despite the fact that this was one of the most sought-after venues in all of New York, she had done it with little over six weeks before her big day.

"It was so lucky, I called on the off chance to see if they had anything at all and as it turned out, they'd had a cancellation. I found out from the planner that the couple who'd called off their wedding had been arrested for drug-related crimes. I couldn't believe it. Still, because I wasn't at the top of the list for cancellations I had to negotiate a few details to secure the room. I'm letting them have three photos of the wedding that they can use in their brochures. Small price to pay to have my wedding at the Plaza though, don't you think?" Rose received enthusiastic, "Oh, god, yes," responses from Alice and Angela. She barely paused for breath before telling us about her upcoming meeting with Irina in LA to design her wedding dress.

"She told me to tell you that she's already got your dress in mind," Rose warned and Alice swooned in delight.

"Oh, no, I'll probably just get something from here in the city. I'll be working and probably won't get a chance to fly out to LA, Rose. Besides, I can't afford one of her dresses and I won't let Edward pay for it again." I pined secretly for my pretty blue dress, it had been the loveliest thing I'd ever seen (apart from Edward of course) and I was gutted that James had gotten his hands on it and then proceeded to rip it to shreds.

"You know, I did want to ask you to be one of my bridesmaids, but Edward warned me against it," Rose murmured quietly.

I froze in horror. It was beyond lovely for Rosalie to even consider asking me to have such an important role in her wedding, but the thought alone made me nauseous. Being a bridesmaid at a regular wedding was bad enough, but for Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen, it would be a million times worse. I could just imagine all the famous guests, the photographers, the pictures on the Internet, and in magazines.

"Rose, I...I..." I looked at her frantically and she began to laugh.

"Dear God, girl, if that's your reaction to me just suggesting being a bridesmaid, then it's probably not a good idea for you to be one. Good friend or not, Hun, I don't fancy spending the morning of my wedding trying to calm you down. That should be your job." Rose laughed and rubbed my hand. "Don't worry, Bella, I won't be offended. Like I said, Edward warned me that you wouldn't be too keen on the idea." I looked at her sadly, I felt awful for reacting like I had. Rose saw my expression and added, "Honestly, Bella, it's fine."

"So, Rose, who are you having as bridesmaids who can be relied upon not to have a mental breakdown?" Alice smirked.

"Caitlyn, obviously. I think she migh've cast a voodoo spell on me if I hadn't asked her." Rose feigned a terrified expression and I laughed knowingly. "Then it's just Emily, who's my maid of honour. We've been friends since my first modeling job when I was fourteen."

"I assume Edward is the best man?" Alice continued to pump Rose for as much information as she could.

"Yeah, but I don't think he's too keen on the idea." Rose looked at me and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, he was chuffed to bits that Emmett asked him. But when he sat and thought about actually making a speech, he started to have second thoughts." I chuckled as I thought back to Edward moaning about what he was going to say and how long he should talk for.

"Are you kidding? He gets up in front of all those people night after night and he's worried about a speech that's going to last a few minutes tops?" Alice looked bemused. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Hey, it's a big thing, Alice. Everyone looks to the best man to deliver the perfect speech, so I can't blame him for being nervous. Besides, when they perform, Emmett is the lead singer. Edward tends to stand in the background and play the guitar, and if he does sing, it's only backing vocals. Leave him alone." I jumped to his defence and Alice rolled her eyes.

"Wow, are you his mother or his girlfriend?" she mocked.

"His fiancée, actually and if you don't stop taking the piss I can kick your skinny ass right off that chair." I stuck out my tongue and Alice burst out laughing.

"Well, there you are, Inner-Bella. It's about time you made an appearance," Alice quipped and then high-fived me. "I'll bet Edward's a huge fan of her isn't he?"

Damn straight he is. I rip like no other.

Rose and Angela were laughing away at our banter and the noise drew the attention from the guys. Edward, Emmett, and Jazz wandered over inquisitively.

"Sounds like you're having more fun over here." Emmett stood behind Rose and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You okay, babe? If you get tired, just shout up and we'll make a move."

"I'm fine, Em. I keep taking a sniff on Alice's wine and trying to lick the empty glass, but other than that, I'm not missing the alcohol at all." Rose laughed and the rest of us did, too.

"I was just asking Bella if you were a fan of Inner-Bella." Alice winked at Edward and he laughed.

"You have no idea, Alice." He looked at me, "Is she here by any chance? I've worn this shirt a couple of times now so I can offer it up as a sacrifice."

I cringed and shot him a "you're in big trouble" look. He didn't seem to care and walked around the bar. He also didn't seem to care that we were in the company of others as he pulled me close to him. When he kissed me, I heard the others groan and they quickly made their way back over to the pool tables.

"You've scared them away," I teased, trying to speak against his lips.

"Good, I can have you to myself while they're playing pool." He began walking me towards the back room which held the crates of beer and dishwasher.

"Edward, what the hell are you doing? Come on, they'll know what's going on the second we disappear from view," I hissed and glanced back at the others.

"They're too busy enjoying New Year's Eve to notice us." He lifted me up and sat me on the counter and kicked the door shut. "Now, I remember how much Inner-Bella loves to be outrageous and daring. I think she should come out and play." He laughed a sexy laugh and kissed me again.

_Ooh how exciting, come on, Bella, live a little, you know you've wanted to do this since the day he came into the bar._

Inner-Bella was right, but I couldn't possibly do this here, could I?

_Hell yes!_

Yeah, who was I kidding? I'd pretty much do anything, anywhere, when it came to Edward, and so I did.

I tugged at the buttons on his pants without moving my lips from his. I could feel how hard he was already, and I soon forgot to give a shit about the others just a few feet away.

My pants and underwear were removed quickly and I gripped onto the counter, expecting him to take me there, but instead he smirked and dropped to his knees.

"Edward," I whimpered, "You can't...I can't stay quiet...please...oh, shit, don't stop."

I bit my lip, and then I covered my mouth with my hand-anything to avoid wailing like a banshee and draw attention to ourselves. My heels were digging into Edward's back so hard it had to hurt him, but he didn't say anything, and more importantly, he didn't stop.

_No stopping ever allowed. That man deserves an award for services to lady parts._

As the fire in my stomach began to rip through my body, I knew I wasn't staying quiet for long, so I yanked Edward up by his hair and kissed him. He pulled me to the very edge of the counter and slammed into me with a groan.

_New Year's resolution, do that with Mr. Delicious in as many public places as possible._

I was astonished when we finally re-emerged that no one even appeared to have noticed. Seth and Johnny were flirting shamelessly with Barbie1 and Barbie2 and they all left together a good hour before midnight after Rose had made sure to warn them about their conversation earlier in the evening.

Angela, Ben, Jazz, and Alice were playing a game of doubles and Rose and Emmett were talking to Garrett. Art managed to hide away upstairs with us towards the end of the night. He'd made tonight a ticket-only event so once the doors closed and the girls downstairs had the customers served he took a break. Felix was working the door along with another guy. It had been my suggestion, as there was no way Edward would let Felix go just yet and I was desperately trying to have a little bit of free rein. With Felix working the door, there was no way James could get in if he tried. I was happy, Edward was happy, and Felix was happy. He actually had something to do tonight, rather than just linger around trying to protect me from someone who never did anything anymore.

I did feel a little guilty. The other girls would be run off their feet downstairs, yet I was up here serving the occasional beer and having a little one-on-one with my man in the back room. I contemplated going downstairs to help them out, then I thought about getting the chance to kiss Edward at midnight and the thought slipped right out of my head again.

That's better.

I stood and watched as Edward took Art on for a game of pool. I ogled as was my routine and then left them to it. I seriously doubted my self-control around him tonight. As much fun as doing the dirty with him on one of the pool tables would have been, I wasn't that much of an exhibitionist as to do it with Art and company watching.

There's still time, still plenty of time.

No one was really drinking. Rose couldn't, so Emmett didn't like to get drunk while she was sober. Garrett claimed he was already on the verge of alcohol poisoning after the previous weeks' socialising and my former roommates were too busy winding each other up while they played pool to even think about grabbing a beer. I wandered over to the bar and tidied it up. I made sure the fridges were stocked and the glasses clean and dry. I did a quick cash-up on the register and then sat down at the bar. I was tired and I decided to rest my head on my hands just until they finished their game. The next thing I knew, I could hear Edward and Art laughing as they woke me up.

"Wow, Bella, you're the life and soul of the party tonight," Art joked, "It's almost midnight and Edward wants a kiss when the ball drops."

"Can't you kiss Art?" I groaned, I didn't want to move. "I'm sleepy."

Art pulled a face and Edward laughed. "Afraid not, Bella, it's my first New Year with you so look lively." Edward helped me to stand up and then we walked over to the door. The flat screen had been set to live shots from Times Square and we waited as the clock counted down. Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, and Angela and Ben all followed us out. Even Garrett and Art made their way downstairs to mingle with the rest of the customers. No one paid us any attention because they were all too wrapped up in their own celebrations. I could hear Alice shouting down with the clock and smiled.

Ten, nine, eight, seven...

"Love you, Bella."

Six, five, four, three...

"Love you, Edward."

Two, one...

The bar erupted in shouts of Happy New Year, but I was too busy kissing Edward to pay any notice to anyone else.

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><p><strong>AN Thanks to pretty flour for prereading and Dollybigmamma for editing this for me while my laptop is out of commission ****:) **

**Your reviews are amazing thank you so so much!**

More soon xxx


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 - Strippers And Angry Little Pixies..**

**BPOV**

After the New Year had been and gone the weeks seemed to roll into one another and in what appeared to be no time at all, we were staring February in the face. Each morning I woke up and thought life couldn't get any better and each morning I was wrong. The more time I spent with Edward I found myself falling for him a little bit more. He was sweet and romantic without being cheesy or over-bearing. We were always together and it worked for us. If I worked, he waited and if he had any meetings or interviews to do he brought me along. Although at the moment those commitments were few and far between. Following their huge world tour last year, they had all agreed that they wanted a few months out of the studio and the limelight.

James was still a nonexistent presence in my life—physically at least, but both Harry and Felix were watching me from a distance, just in case. Dad continued to search for James in England but still had no idea where he was. The optimist in me said that he had simply checked into a clinic and was finally learning how to deal with his illness. However, the realist in me said he was probably back in New York, waiting for something...planning his next move. He never made contact, not once, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I didn't say anything to Edward, and instead I tried to push the thought from my mind. I was trying desperately to convince myself that the paranoia was a valid reaction. I had felt that way for so long that I couldn't just switch it off.

Rosalie and Emmett's wedding was fast approaching. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it and Edward even less so. The reason behind Edward's reluctance happened to be the speech he would have to deliver as best man. He had written the damn thing at least twenty times and had disregarded each of them, he'd commissioned my help and I offered one or two suggestions which he seemed to like. Yet he still refused to let me hear the final draft, telling me I would have to wait for the wedding.

The last time I'd heard, the current guest count stood at three hundred and seven people. Of course, given Rosalie's life prior to meeting Emmett, the vast majority of the guests would be famous, rich, and glamorous celebrities. Despite my initial refusal of her services, the crazy designer had personally flown out to New York to make a house call. She came donned with fabric samples and insisted that she was making me a dress whether I liked it or not. I had an appointment with Irina first thing the next morning and Alice had insisted on accompanying me to the fitting, she was dying to meet Irina Perovski in person.

Since my failed attempt to walk away from Edward, Alice, Angela, and New York, Edward spent most nights propping up the bar with Seth and Garrett. Emmett and Rosalie tended to stay away, she was struggling with sickness and Emmett wanted to take care of her. Tonight however, there would be no Edward, no Seth, Garrett, Emmett, or even Art, because tonight it was Emmett's Bachelor party. When they first started discussing what to do to celebrate, Seth began planning a "Hangover" style fiasco which involved things I didn't even want to think about. Thank God for Rose and the baby! Because of her pregnancy, Emmett refused to stray too far away from home, and when Art had he could only manage to take one night off from the bar, that had been the final nail in the coffin for Seth's plans, and they were having a night out in Manhattan instead.

Well, a night out in Manhattan wasn't accurate. The guys were dressed and ready to go for two in the afternoon. I had agreed to open for Art so he could take the whole day off for a change. Plus the time at work wouldn't allow me to spend the day worrying about Edward.

The guys agreed to meet up at Art's first, and I was surprised when I saw Carlisle wander into the bar along with his sons. For a man who was well into his fifties he looked good.

_Stop giving your future father-in-law the eye. Mr. Delicious is here too, and we think he's the dogs bollocks._

Of course Edward looked his usual mind-, handsome and knee-quiveringly, sexy self. He had on a military style, dark blue, button down shirt with a pair of jeans which showed off his arse magnificently. His hair was in its regular style of perfect disarray, and he smelled divine.

I was actually expecting to see a lot more people going with them, but as it turned out there wasn't much difference between tonight and any other night here in Art's. Emmett and Edward were joined by Seth, Garrett, Art, Carlisle, Johnny, and two other men who I remembered from the party in LA.

It had taken some convincing to get Edward to actually go with the guys; he fretted about me being alone in the bar. Of course I wasn't alone, Felix was still there, his huge frame was unmissable regardless of how low key he tried to be. I refused to let Edward use me or James as an excuse and insisted he go. I was actually regretting that now.

_You're telling me. I cannot believe you encouraged Mr. Delicious to go and get drunk in the company of others. Do you not remember the effect he has on women? Bitch._

The bar was heaving as it always was these days. The customers in fairness paid little attention to the guys and they managed to enjoy several drinks before they moved on. I watched them leave and tried not to think about what men usually did on bachelor parties. Luckily, the bar was so busy I barely got a minute to myself. By half past two I was ready to drop. My feet were burning and my throat was sore from shouting over the loud music in the bar. When there were just a few stragglers remaining, I left Sandrine clearing up and took the takings into the back to cash-up. I had just about finished when the door crashed open. I snatched a breath and looked up nervously but then I burst out laughing.

"Hey, baby." Edward winked, he was propping himself up on the door frame and he was, to put it bluntly, shit-faced. "I've missed you."

"I didn't expect to see you. Where's everyone else?" I made a note of the figures and then got up to secure the money in the safe.

"They've gone home. Garrett and Dad are with Emmett, he's not in great shape. Art's even worse so Johnny helped me get him back here." He stepped towards me and wrapped his arms around me tightly.

When he finally relaxed his hold I glanced behind him and saw Art drooped over the bar. The few customers still here were regulars and the sight of Art in such a state was amusing to everyone. Edward looked rather unsteady on his feet, so I walked him to the bar and made him sit down. I grabbed the pot of coffee and poured a few cups. Johnny moved to sit beside Edward and he looked worn out.

"I think it's going to take something stronger than that to sober him up." He inclined his head towards Art who was groaning. "Art lives upstairs, right? I've had to walk the pair of them here."

I laughed. "Yeah the door to get upstairs is in the back room."

"I tried to get Edward back home in a cab, but he wanted to come back here so he could walk you home. As he so casually told me, he's feeling a little horny and the only person who can help with that is you." Johnny rolled his eyes. "So, good luck with that, Bella."

Edward had been listening and he smirked proudly. "Johnny, if she was your girl then you'd want to spend every second with her. You certainly wouldn't want her walking the streets alone at this time in the morning."

"Fair point, Eddie, but look at the size of her, there's no way she can get you home by herself. How about I just help you, yeah?" Johnny offered.

"Fine," Edward mumbled.

"Dear God, look at the state of them both. Bella, you get Edward home, I'll get Art upstairs when my husband comes to meet me. I can lock up -you've had a long day. Are you sure he's alive?" Sandrine tried to rouse Art, he grunted in response but then fell back to sleep. "Never mind."

I smiled and pulled on my coat and held out my hand to Edward. He snatched it up and staggered from the bar. As soon as we were outside he draped his arm around me and nestled his face into my hair.

"Fuck, I love you, Bella," he said loud enough for a few passers by to hear. He failed to notice and turned his head to look at Johnny. "I'm the luckiest man in the whole fucking world, Johnny-boy. I've just got to convince her to marry me quickly, before she comes to her senses and runs for her life."

I rolled my eyes and Johnny laughed. "Edward, buddy, if you keep your arm around her that tight, you won't give her chance to get away."

"I have to, look at her she's perfect." He kissed my head and then began humming along to a song we heard coming from another bar.

_Even shit-faced he's still the sweetest man in the world._

It took us almost an hour to make the short walk home. On several occasions Edward had stopped to declare his love for me to random people passing on the street. It had earned him one or two, "Wow that dude's smashed" looks and, "Ah, sweet." from some others. I shrank back from view in embarrassment feeling certain he'd regret his outbursts when they were splashed all over the tabloids tomorrow.

As soon as we got to the elevator in the lobby Johnny left us to it. The more time that passed, the more Edward was leaning on me and the heavier he was getting. I struggled to walk us into the apartment and to the bedroom. As soon as he was at the foot of the bed I pushed him back gently and he flopped down, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. I caught my breath and rested my arms before I started to undress him. I managed to wrestle his jeans down and his shirt off.

_Lick him, wake him up, straddle him._

Surely doing anything to him in that state was immoral, right?

_Hell No._

I ignored the screaming in my head and took his wallet, keys, and phone from his pockets. As I set them down on the table I noticed something else in there, a wad of cards.

_Oh dear. That's not what we need to see._

The cards were from hostesses, dancers, waitresses, and god only knows who else. I tried to shrug them off, anyone could have slipped them into his pockets. Looking at the state he was in, I doubt he would have even noticed if he'd had his wallet lifted.

Unfortunately, there was one card which was peeking out from inside his wallet. It was stuck behind a credit card, almost out of sight. This wasn't like the others.

I loved your moves tonight! You were amazing. Call me, baby x

Underneath the writing was a lipstick smudge and it smelled like a perfume counter. Sighing to myself, I sat the card down on top of his wallet and climbed onto the bed beside him. I tried not to let my imagination run wild. It was probably some leech just trying to get into his pants, right? He came to the bar to meet me, he didn't look guilty or worried, he just looked extremely drunk. But why had this one been kept hidden, and what exactly did the whore mean? "I loved your moves? You were amazing?"

I had a hectic morning planned with Irina and Alice and I was back at work again at three, so I pushed all thoughts of the card out of my head and fought my way to sleep.

Edward was still out of it when my alarm went off at eight that morning. During the night he had rolled over and wrapped his arm around my waist and buried his face in my hair. I lay still for a minute, enjoying the contact and then I wriggled free and out of bed. I managed to shower and get ready without waking him and I was glad. I would ask him about the card at some point, but I didn't want to do it now. Instead I put a bottle of water and some tablets by the bed, he was waking up with a stinking hangover that was for sure.

Alice met me downstairs at nine and she started squealing excitedly about the fitting with Irina. When she noticed my half-dead appearance she frowned.

"Really, Bella, look at the state of you. You look like crap. Edward should start letting you sleep at night."

"It was Emmett's bachelor party, remember? Edward came to the bar to wait for me and was a little worse for wear, it took me ages to get him home and into bed. The insomnia that followed was all me, he was in no fit state to keep me awake," I clarified.

_He did keep you awake though didn't he? Just not in the physical, mind blowing, orgasmic sense._

Irina had persuaded the owner of a boutique on Madison Avenue to let us use her dressing room and she opened the store early as a favour.

"Irina is in the back." The owner smiled and pointed to a door at the back of the store.

"Thanks," I mumbled, and headed to see what dress she had for me. I knew it would be lovely, I just wasn't in the mood to be playing Fashion Barbie today. The only thing I could think about was the card and, "I loved your moves." I could trust Edward, he would never do anything like that. Would he?

"Isabella, my sweet little dimpleton. How are you? I can't wait to show you what I've made. Who are you?" Irina cocked her head in Alice's direction.

"Alice Brandon. I'm Bella's best friend and I have to confess, a huge fan of yours." Alice began reeling off a list of her favourite dresses that Irina had designed and her favourite stars that she had styled.

"Well thanking you, Alice Brandon. Right, shall we ladies?" She motioned to Alice to take a seat and then ordered me to strip.

I stood behind a curtain and stripped down to my underwear. Irina yanked open the curtain and held out a dress. She got me to raise my arms and slipped it over my head, before moving to the back to zip it up. When she was done she looked at me and frowned.

"You've got skinnier. All the 'sexercise' you and hot stuff are having, eh?" She winked. "I'll need to take it in a tiddly tad but that won't take a needle demon like me any time at all. Go, go take a look."

I made my way carefully towards the mirror. This woman was the God of pretty dresses. I heard Alice squeal with delight and I almost did the same. I was wearing a strapless, baby pink chiffon master class. It was floor length in some places, but slightly shorter in others, and on my chest was an elaborate ruffle. It was so simple but perfect. I loved it. I loved the shoes too, a pair of nude Jimmy Choo suede open toe sandals, they had a crystal embellished ankle strap and were even a reasonable height. Irina pulled at the dress around my waist and chest and began to pin the excess fabric.

"Oh, Bella, that looks beautiful. Wow, Irina, you're unbelievable," Alice crooned, she ordered me to twirl around enough times to leave me feeling dizzy.

"Of course I am. If I can get her looking this beautiful in something as simple as that, imagine what I could do with her in a wedding dress." Irina laughed. "Rosie told me Mr. Hot-stuff got a ring on your finger. When can I expect a phone call?"

"Oh not any time soon. I...we...I mean we haven't even thought about a date or anything yet. But thanks for the offer." I expected her to stab me with one of the pins but she didn't. In fact she just smiled and continued with what she was doing.

The whole fitting only lasted an hour and she shooed us out of the room as soon as I was dressed. "Get your butts out of here. Isabella, I will have the dress ready in no time. I'll let you know the second it's done." She left us in the main store and danced away singing.

"Ooh eeh ooh ahah, ting tang wallawallabingbang."

"See I told you she was nuts," I muttered as we walked outside. Unfortunately she was in good company, my "friend" Alice, appeared to be on the same happy medicine.

"I told the witchdoctor I was in love with you..." Alice giggled and linked my arm with her own. "Oh, come on, Bella, I don't care if she broke out into nursery rhymes, the woman's a genius. That dress was beautiful."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I grinned back at her. "I need some breakfast, can we go and eat now?"

**EPOV**

I swear to God there was an angry little goblin inside my head banging away with an axe on my skull. I opened my eyes and moved my arm to cuddle Bella but she wasn't in bed. I called as loudly as I dared and fought off the wave of nausea and several more fierce pounds from angry goblin man. I couldn't hear her moving about anywhere in the apartment and I rolled over slowly, trying to sit up without worsening the hangover from hell. I noticed a note, bottle of water, and some tablets by the bed. I smiled to myself and reached over to grab them. I couldn't remember much about last night after we left the club, and I definitely couldn't remember getting home. I saw my clothes on the floor and phone by the bed and frowned. Clearly I'd had some help last night and I hoped it was Bella who had undressed me, rather than one of the guys.

I hadn't been looking forward to it, but as it turned out it was a pretty good night. We went to Soho and had several drinks in the little cocktail bar Bella had raved about, before moving onto a club called Spangles. This had been Seth's idea; he wouldn't be shifted from the idea that a group of guys on a bachelor party had to visit a lap dancing club. Apparently, Spangles was a very upmarket and classy place, they offered discretion and security. I didn't particularly give a shit about discretion; I had no interest in getting a lap dance from anyone so there would certainly be nothing to see.

Luckily, my disinterest in the girls seemed to go un-noticed. Seth, Art, Johnny, Garrett and a few others were having far too much fun to notice that Emmett, Dad, and I were content with drinking and chatting as far away from the dancers as was possible. Of course, who we were didn't escape the eyes of some waitresses and dancers. Several tried their utmost to give us a private show and thrust card after card into our pockets but none of them interested us in the slightest.

Art was making the most of his freedom, he let loose completely and gave us all a laugh. He had dances from as many women as he could; he even got up on stage at one point and gave everyone a performance himself. The impromptu male pole dance went down a storm and earned a rapturous round of applause from the other customers. We were served by the same two cocktail waitresses and Art hit it off with one of them in particular.

We'd all had more than enough to drink and by 1.30am we started to make our move. The last thing I remember was the waitress who had been chatting to Art, handing me a card to pass along to him.

I forced the tablets and water down, and as I still didn't know where Bella was, I picked up my phone to call her and when I did I saw the pile of cards sitting on the table. Shit, was the first word that came to my mind. If Bella had been the one to undress me, and empty my pockets, then she would have seen the cards. I swore again when I saw the one that the waitress had given me to pass to Art.

I loved your moves tonight. You were amazing. Call me, baby.

Double shit and fuck. I knew exactly what Bella would have thought when she saw that. I would have thought exactly the same. I dialled her number straight away, hoping she wasn't pissed at me enough to ignore my calls. Unfortunately, it appeared she was, and she didn't answer. I sent her a message instead. Not wanting to rock the boat in case she hadn't actually seen the cards, I played innocent for the time being.

Hey you, I missed you this morning. Where r you Is Felix with you? X

I waited nervously on the bed for her reply which finally came through twenty minutes later.

I had to meet Irina for dress fitting. Feeling a little rough by any chance? And yes Felix is with me, he's been looking at pretty dresses for the wedding.

I couldn't tell from her response how she was feeling exactly, but she did seem to be a little off. I decided against playing innocent and replied quickly.

When will you be back? I think I need to explain the cards :(

Oh, you mean, I loved your moves tonight. You were amazing, call me? Mm, can't wait for that conversation.

Yep, she was pissed. I wasn't going to try and explain in a text message so I rang her. When she answered she didn't even give me chance to speak.

"Can we talk later? I'm just having breakfast with Alice, I'll be back soon okay?"

"Sure," I mumbled and hung up. I closed my eyes and sighed. Apart from that awful night in November, we had never argued and I didn't want to start now. I must have fallen back to sleep because when I opened my eyes, Bella was sitting on the bed, a coffee in her hand.

"Hey." She smiled weakly and held the coffee out to me.

"Thanks." I sat up and took it from her. "About the cards, Bella."

She took a deep breath and nodded. Waiting for me to continue.

"They were just cards, dancers and waitresses shoved them in our pockets...even Dad got a handful. I never spoke to any of them, but the one with the writing on, it wasn't for me I swear."

She narrowed her eyes at me and snorted. "This I've got to hear."

So I told her about Art, the girl, and every other detail of the night that I remembered. She did seem to soften by the time I had finished the story. "I promise, Bella, I didn't even get a dance from anyone. Emmett, Dad, and I were all sitting like old men around a fire. I'm sorry if I upset you or made you think that I'd do something like that. I wouldn't, not in a million years."

"A little advice?" she offered and I nodded. "Next time a stripper slips you her card, throw it away or give it to the other guy. It's not really a good idea to let your girlfriend find them in your pockets when she's trying to undress your drunken ass."

I grimaced. "I really am sorry. How bad was I when I got in? I take it I woke you if you had to undress me?"

Bella looked at me in confusion. "Wake me? Edward, you came to the bar to meet me. You and Johnny had to help Art home. Then you insisted you wanted to walk me home, although it ended up me walking you home. You could barely stand up and you refused to let Johnny help." She laughed. "You were quite vocal too."

"About what?" I tried to pull the memory to the front of my mind and snickered when I had a flashback. I vaguely remembered telling a few people how much I loved Bella. "Oh yeah, well it's true. I hope I didn't embarrass you too much? And thanks for not dropping me in the street."

She gave me her sweetest smile and I hoped that meant I was forgiven. "Well, as it turns out, you're a rather sweet drunk, so I suppose I forgive you." She moved closer and lay beside me.

I let out a big sigh of relief and wrapped my arms around her. "Did you get your dress?"

"Irina's just finishing it. Are you feeling any better?" She smirked.

"Not really. Christ knows how Em and Art are feeling, they were loads worse than me. Just think, this time next week we'll be at the plaza doing it all again." Rose and Em were getting married next Sunday and my nerves were getting steadily worse as the hours ticked by.

"Yippee," she quipped sarcastically.

I knew she wasn't looking forward to the wedding, I'd tried to re-assure her, but Bella being Bella, wasn't having any of it. "Why are you so worried about it?" I asked softly.

"Little Mermaid analogy again," she grumbled and I frowned.

"Please tell me we're not starting the squid comparison again." I moved so I could see her face.

She laughed before she answered, "No, not the squid, don't worry. I just don't feel like part of your world, Edward. I mean, Rose, Emmett, and all you guys have lived that life for so long."

"Bella, I don't feel part of that world. I probably hate that side of things more than you do. At the end of the day it's just my job, my 'life' is this...being here with you, waiting patiently for you at Art's, and anything else that we do together. This is a wedding, just any other party. The location, guest list, or cost is irrelevant. It's just a wedding." I kissed her and she relaxed a little in my arms.

"I suppose you're right. God,I'm so tired I could sleep for days." She closed her eyes.

"So, sleep away." I could certainly do with trying to sleep this shocking hangover off.

"I can't, I'm back at Art's at three and it's almost one now..."

My stomach lurched when I thought about spending the evening in the bar. "Until when?"

"No idea, after midnight probably. Thanks to you guys, the place is so damn full all the time." She noticed my expression and laughed. "Why don't you just stay here tonight? I doubt the bar is anywhere you'll feel like spending any time. Felix is meeting me outside to walk me to work, so don't worry."

"I'll swing by later, I promise." I would make sure I was there to walk her home. But I certainly wasn't having a beer while I waited.

"Just sleep, Edward, I'm having a shower. I'll see you tonight, okay?" She kissed me and rolled off the bed.

"I'll be there," I promised.

I was asleep before she even finished in the shower and I didn't wake up until almost seven. When I got out of bed I felt much better, in fact I was ravenous. I showered and dressed, the plan was to grab a pizza and then head over to Art's.

First things first, I needed a coffee. Bella had made a fresh pot and there was a pizza sitting on the counter for me.

I thought you'd be hungry when you got up B x

Did I mention how much I loved this girl? I warmed up the pizza and ate the lot quickly, eager to be over at Art's with Bella. I was on my way by 7:45pm. When I got downstairs I noticed one of Charlie's men, Harry, waiting in reception.

He saw me look at him in confusion and explained, "Ms. Swan wanted someone to wait behind for you."

"Oh sure. Well, then I guess we'll get going."

Art's was already busy, much busier than any normal Sunday. Usually I preferred to wait in the pool room for Bella, but tonight she was downstairs with Art. The room was full and all the bar seats taken, but as I was "special" I knew about the stools behind the bar kept for the staff.

As soon as Art saw me he grimaced. "Jesus, Edward, how much did I fucking drink? Seriously man, I was still wasted when I woke up."

I laughed and held out the card. "Here, can you even remember her?"

Art nodded and took the card. "Yeah, Stacy I think. Right?" He read the note and smirked.

"We loved your moves too, Art," I mocked before shooting him a stern warning. "You'd better call her, that card got me into a lot of trouble."

"I will do, she was pretty cool." He shrugged. "Wait, why were you in trouble?"

"Bella found it while I was passed out."

He looked straight over at Bella. "Sorry, Bella." As he apologized he waved the card and Bella laughed.

As was becoming the norm, I didn't get much chance to talk with Bella, she drifted down the bar to talk to me as often as she could, but she was busy. I was quite happy to watch her work, I was almost over the hangover, but nonetheless I gave alcohol a miss and settled for soda's instead.

The biggest problem I had with Bella working here at the bar, was the attention she received from other men. I admit I was jealous and it wasn't something I tried to make Bella too much aware of, but I couldn't help it. Generally, the guys would try to chat her up, offer to buy her a drink or dinner, but when she turned them down, they took the hint and left her alone. Occasionally though, there were some guys who overstepped the mark and I saw one of those guys tonight.

He was sitting at the bar and never took his eyes from her. She caught his eye a few times and rolled her eyes, he took it as an invitation to talk to her.

"Like what you see?" He smirked.

I tensed and glared in his direction but he failed to notice. Bella ignored him and looked at me, she noticed my expression and shook her head slightly as she headed in my direction. "Need another?" She smiled.

I nodded, still glancing over at him. As she neared me the creep noticed who I was.

"Don't waste your time with that one, he's not man enough for you," he goaded, clearly after causing some kind of scene.

Before I could react Bella placed her hand on mine over the bar. "Leave it," she whispered. "Please?" She didn't acknowledge the other man whatsoever.

I took a calming breath and nodded. For the next hour or so, Bella remained completely professional, she served the man politely but never made an attempt to strike up a conversation. I could see her lack of interest was getting on his nerves but he never made a move.

It wasn't until after midnight that the bar started to quieten down. I knew that she'd get a minute to talk now, but the creep had also been waiting for the exact same thing.

She wandered down to stand opposite me. I could tell she was exhausted.

"How long until you can leave?" I asked.

"Sally's just tidying upstairs and then I can go. Thanks for waiting for me." She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hand.

"Pleasure as always, Ms. Swan." I winked, and she laughed.

Sally appeared a few minutes later and disappeared into the back telling Bella to take off. She didn't need a second invitation, she snatched up her jacket and purse, and almost ran around the bar. Unfortunately, as she walked past the guy who had been trying it on earlier, he reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her against him.

"Where do you think you're going? I've been waiting here all night," he sneered, ignoring Bella's attempt to wrestle her arm free.

I saw red and marched straight over. "Get your fucking hands off her," I snarled and pulled Bella away sharply.

"I suggest you mind your own business." He squared up to me and tried to get in my face.

"I said get your fucking hands off her," I said again, my hands balling into fists at my sides. Felix approached us quickly but I shook my head. "I got this Felix. I'm not getting into it with this loser."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He released Bella's arm and squared up to me. "Arrogant fucker. You don't get first pickings on every woman in the place."

"Art," Bella shouted out, and stepped in between us quickly, "A little help." She pushed me back slightly and kept shouting at me to calm down. Before I could react though, the guy threw a punch in my direction but he struck the side of Bella's face, hard.

She stumbled and I caught her, but the idiot kept trying to come at me. Felix and Art were on him in seconds, they grabbed him by the shirt and literally dragged him from the bar. As soon as he was gone I turned to look at Bella. I could see she was bleeding from a small cut above her eye.

"Are you okay?" Let's go in the back." I walked her into Art's office and told her to sit down.

"I'm okay, Edward. Shit, what a dick he was." She winced as I wiped the cut down. "I hope Art's given him a good introduction to his fists."

I smiled at her. "Let me get you some ice, don't move." I grabbed a cup from the bar and wrapped it in a towel before holding it gently on the side of her face.

Art was back a few minutes later, I noticed a few grazes on his knuckles and nodded at him in appreciation. "You okay, Bella? Keep that ice on there as long as you can."

She nodded but I spoke, "I think it's going to bruise."

"Marvellous, one week before your brother's wedding and I'm going to be going with a black eye," Bella muttered.

"Bruise or no bruise, you'll still be the most beautiful girl in the room, love." I smiled at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Easy there, charmer, I said you needed ice, Edward, not cheese," Art scoffed and I saw Bella giggle.

I made her keep the makeshift icepack on while we walked home. In hindsight it wasn't the best idea, Bella holding a towel to her eye gained a lot of stares from passers-by.

"You just know what's going to be all over the Internet tomorrow," I said despondently. "Edward Cullen in shock attack on his fiancée."

Bella shrugged. "Does it matter? We know it's not true, Edward."

"Yeah, but still..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "James doesn't."

* * *

><p>AN. thank you for reading & reviewing & of course thanks to Prettyflour my wonderful prereader! Also DollyBigMamma offered to help editing but unfortunately I couldn't get this chapter over to her so all mistakes are mine :)

More soon

Katy

X


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33 - Not Valentines Day Date**

**BPOV**

It was five days until the god damned wedding and things were going from bad to worse. Not only did I have a humdinger of a black eye to try and conceal before Saturday, there was also the matter of the magazine articles circulating the world.

**Edward Cullen—woman beater.**

**Shocking revelation about Edward Cullen.**

**Edward Cullen talks with his fists.**

Blah, blah, blah.

Oh, I should also mention that I was, in fact contacted by the charity, Women's' Aid. They offered their assistance in helping me escape the domestic violence I was being subjected to and told me that I didn't need to be afraid because they would keep me safe from Edward. While I appreciated the fact that they worked tirelessly to help people in abusive relationships, I didn't want them to be pursuing me.

_Not necessary, we can handle ourself and we can certainly handle Edward's weapon._

Unfortunately, despite the fact that the stories were complete and utter bullshit, the paparazzi had launched an assault on Edward's building, Art's, and anywhere else he happened to go. As soon as the first stories had hit the stands, Johnny had immediately issued a statement disputing the allegations and threatened legal action against any publication which printed anything further on the matter. He also insisted on retractions from those who had already published the stories. Everyone who mattered knew it was a complete work of fiction, yet it was another reason for my father to come down hard on Edward. He had called him the second he heard about the assault claims and I could hear him screaming blue murder down the phone to him.

It infuriated me and I had snatched the phone from Edward and began my own tirade in response.

"Dad, it's all bullshit. Edward didn't touch me and you should give me more credit. I tried to break up a fight at the bar, some creep got a bit hands on with me and Edward tried to help. The creep then lashed out at Edward and caught me in the face. You need to apologise to him right now. If you wanted to know what went down you should have asked me, okay?" I growled the words and waited for him to answer.

"Put Edward on the phone, Bella. Now," Charlie hissed.

I heard Edward mumble, "Yes, Sir, of course, it's not a problem." He held the phone back out to me but I shook my head. "Um, she's just gone to the bathroom."

"Yeah of course she has. Jesus, that girl's just like her Goddamn mother," I could hear Charlie mutter down the phone before he hung up in a huff.

"I'm so sorry, Edward, he shouldn't have shouted at you like that," I apologized.

Edward just shrugged. "He's just being a dad, Bella, I'm sure I'll be exactly the same with our daughter."

_Babies? Babies? He wants to have babies, Bella, get your ass down to the clinic and get that implant out of your arm now. In fact why wait? We can scratch it out right now. Mr. Delicious, we would love to bake your bun, please feel free to impregnate us at your earliest convenience._

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Our daughter?" I could feel my heart begin to race and my palms were beginning to sweat just a little.

Edward laughed. "Yeah, why not?" He paused and narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you freaking out?"

"No," I lied. "Well, not really...okay, maybe just a little. I never really gave much thought to kids, you know?"

Edward smiled sadly. "I know." He kissed my head softly. It was his "thing", something he could do to comfort me without running too much of a risk that I'd pounce on him, demanding more. "Although you should know, I have every intention of convincing you otherwise."

~x~

Rosalie was having a quiet little get together with her girlfriends to celebrate the upcoming wedding. On the Friday before the ceremony, she had arranged for her closest friends and family to meet at 21 Club over on West 52nd. I almost had palpitations when I discovered that Mr. George Clooney himself, had actually filmed a scene in this very building. Okay, so _One Fine Day_ probably wasn't the most critically acclaimed film of the nineties, but hey it's George, who cares about the plot when you can look at George?

_Hey, who needs George Clooney? Mr. Delicious is much sexier and his stamina is incredible. We love Mr. D, remember?_

Yeah, give me Edward any day.

I had insisted that tonight I was not wearing a fancy Irina Perovski creation. It was February, it was cold, and this was just a meal out with friends, so I wore an old favourite. It was an amethyst, wool-crepe, backless dress. It draped over my arms and tops of my legs, yet the cut sculpted my figure and it succeeded in making me feel sexy. It had the desired effect on Edward too. I had my hair pulled back into a sleek pony tail and I saw his eyes widen when I walked out of the bathroom.

"Wow, you look, um...wow," he mumbled, barely coherent and I grinned.

"Thanks." I beamed at him and he followed me into the kitchen. "You're meeting Emmett for drinks later, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Mom, Dad, and Caitlyn are staying at the hotel tonight, so Em booked us rooms too. The plan is for us to meet up for breakfast and shit tomorrow morning." I saw his brow furrow before he said, "Like either of us will feel remotely like eating."

"Aw, poor baby's nervous?" I patted his head and he knocked my hand away playfully.

"I'll feel better when you come back tonight. You will stay over at the hotel, right?" He turned his "dazzle" on and almost hypnotised me into saying yes. Almost.

"It seems a bit daft to trek all my things over to the hotel to get ready when we live so close, don't you think?" I would rather we stayed here tonight. I was a homebody, no doubt about it, but it wasn't home unless Edward was here.

"Please, Bella. It's a great suite that I've got for us and it means I get to spend most of the morning with you. Stay? For me?" He intensified his stare and I sighed.

"One day I will say no to you, Edward Cullen, and that weird puss in boots thing you do with your eyes won't work." I tapped my foot and crossed my arms across my chest to try to emphasize my point.

"Keep telling yourself that." He laughed dismissively and held out his hand. "Come on you have a party to attend, Ms. Swan."

Edward had arranged for Franz to drive me to the club and Felix was sat dutifully in the front beside him as I waved to Edward. I was being driven straight to the Plaza after the party, and Edward had promised my things would be waiting for me when I got there.

Rose and her mother were already waiting when I arrived, and we were quickly joined by Esme and Caitlyn. The hostess escorted us to the Orchid Room. Named after, orchids of course. There were orchids in vases, orchids on the walls, and on the drapes. Even the colours of the chairs matched the colour of the petals perfectly. It was pretty but extremely anal, I knew orchids symbolized luxury and clearly the designer responsible for this room knew that too.

_Whoa, overkill much?_

We took our seats and waited for the others to arrive. As they drifted in Rosalie made sure to introduce everyone. Emily, Rose's maid of honour and oldest friend skipped into the room excitedly. She was exactly like Rose, tall, slender, statuesque, and beautiful. The only difference was Emily had fiery red hair and it was cut into a short pixie style. She was really friendly and began handing out all sorts of goodies, including party poppers, flashing deely boppers, and even some willy shaped straw, which she placed one in every glass on the table. The hostess looked on disapprovingly, but Emily ignored her. Much to Caitlyn's dismay, Emily then pulled out a less vulgar straw for her to use and Esme sighed in relief.

"Oh no, Emily, I can't use this." Rose's mum laughed nervously.

"Why not, dear?" Esme asked. "Let's live like we're young again."

"I suppose you're right, Esme, after all it's the closest we'll get to the real thing for a while."

"Speak for yourself, dear. That's never been a problem for Carlisle and I." Esme smirked and Caitlyn screeched in horror.

"God, Mom, that is so gross. I don't want to hear about that. Ugh."

We all laughed and Inner Bella delighted.

_Still going strong at fifty plus. Let's hope Mr. D follows in their footsteps._

There were just two places left at the table and it was almost time for the meal to start. I saw Rosalie whisper to emily and she just shrugged. After another few minutes passed Rosalie looked increasingly annoyed and pulled her phone out. As she did two women sauntered into the room and Rose frowned.

When her eyes shot to me nervously I glanced around automatically and groaned. Tanya Denali was here.

_Why? Why is she here? Rose isn't her friend, we don't like her. She got to see Mr. D Jnr. before us. Not Fair._

"Hi, Rose, Jane called me to say her flight had been delayed and wasn't going to be here in time to come. I didn't want to come alone and i figured as it was paid for i'd just bring a friend. You don't mind do you?" I didn't know the girl who had come in with Tanya but Rose obviously did.

"It's a little late to be asking me if it's okay, Carmen. She's already here," Rose said curtly.

"But you do know Tan, right? She said you guys used to be close..." Carmen looked hopefully o Rose.

"I wouldn't say close...in fact, I don't think we've said much more than hello since Edward called things off, that's right isn't it, Tanya?" Rose shot her friend a dirty look and didn't give Tanya a chance to respond before she introduced everyone again. She paused when she got to me and her face turned smug. "Bella, this is Carmen my old stylist and Tanya. Tanya, Carmen, this is Bella. Did you know she and Edward are engaged?"

"Engaged?" Tanya muttered, almost under her breath. "What's he trying to prove?"

Esme's lips pursed and she glared at Tanya, but didn't say anything. As soon as they say down, everyone else began chatting away amongst themselves.

Rose leaned over to me and said, "I'm so sorry, Bella, I had no idea Carmen was bringing her. She was supposed to be coming with Jane, those two used to go everywhere with me as part of my hair and make-up team. They work for the same studio as Tanya. If I'd known I would have told her to forget it." Rose looked ashamed and I shook my head.

"Don't be daft, Rose, I couldn't care less who's here." I smiled to reassure her and she nodded glumly.

Luckily, everyone else happened to be lovely and we had a fantastic time. The party pieces went down a storm and everyone played along gamely with the straws and deely boppers. The food was perfectly fine, it wasn't my kind of thing, given the fact that chicken burger wasn't on the menu, but I ate without complaint and the champagne went down a treat.

Caitlyn was loving the attention she received. Everyone asked her about her bridesmaid dress and she refused to tell them even the smallest detail. It was her first time and she was almost bursting with excitement.

The person who shocked me the most was Esme. Edward's mother was a scream. She told us some hilarious stories about Emmett and Edward as they were growing up and she wasn't afraid to make some pretty suggestive comments about her husband too. She had everyone laughing hysterically.

The people who knew Edward, congratulated me on our engagement and asked to see my ring. All the whole I could feel Tanya staring icily at me. I didn't look her way, I wasn't a confrontational kind of person and besides, this was Rosalie's night. I wasn't causing a scene here.

I would quite happily have pretended she wasn't there for the rest of the night but unfortunately she became a little fixated on Esme.

"My, Esme, you look as amazing as ever. You too, Caitlyn, you're so grown up now." She smiled falsely and leaned forward as she spoke. "I was only saying on set the other day, how much I've missed, you guys. Given how close Edward and I were, you guys were like a second family to me."

"Well things change, Tanya, don't they?" Esme pursed her lips and her face tightened. I could tell she wasn't that interested in talking to Tanya. After all she had done some pretty underhand things to her son, not just during their relationship, but afterwards too. "And they've definitely changed for the better. Edward's never been so happy."

"I need to know your secret, Esme?" Tanya persisted, not acknowledging what she said. "I would give anything to know how you look as well as you do at your age."

"Jeez, Tanya, climb out of my mom's ass please," Caitlyn retorted.

"Now, now, Caitlyn, trust me, when you get older and you start thinking about getting older you'll want to know, too. Then again, I suppose you've probably inherited those fantastic Cullen genes." Tanya smiled. "So, Esme, what do you do?"

Before Esme had chance to answer Caitlyn interrupted loudly, "Don't you think you should be asking Bella that question?" As soon as she spoke the table went quiet to listen in on the unfolding scene.

"Why on earth would I do that?" Tanya sneered shooting me another filthy look.

"Well," Caitlyn shrugged nonchalantly. "If you looked a bit more like her then maybe my brother might notice you were actually in the room. I doubt he even knows you exist anymore." She tucked back into her food winking in my direction and I could see the others were biting back smiles, a few even attempting to cough to disguise their laughter.

Tanya didn't say another word, she struck up a conversation with Carmen, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment and probably anger.

"Nice, Caitlyn," I whispered in her ear and she grinned up at me.

"God, she was such a bitch with Edward. It was awesome when he broke up with her." She paused before linking my arm and squeezing it tightly. "I'm so glad you guys met, I love you loads, Bella, you're so cool."

I smiled at her and fought back a few tears which were dying to escape. "Thanks, Caitlyn, you're pretty cool yourself."

The light-hearted atmosphere returned and the rest of the night passed by quickly. No one drunk too much and when Rose started to feel tired she used the early start the following morning as her excuse for leaving early. As soon as she stood to leave, the majority of the others did too. We all made our way to the main reception area and I heard Caitlyn shout out excitedly.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

The second I heard his name, I looked over and saw him sitting at the bar with a beer. It was strange but even when I thought I was fine, whenever I laid eyes on him I felt an incredible wave of relief, like I had been anxious and stressed the whole time we were apart. I smiled at him and walked quickly over.

"I came to meet Bella, Mom, and my annoying sister of course." He laughed and stood up. "How was it?"

"Well unlike your attempt last week, we can all stand up unassisted, walk in a straight line, and string a coherent sentence together," I teased. "It was fun."

"Yeah except for the part where Mom started talking about her and Dad's...you know..." Catilyn trailed off turning her nose up.

Edward grimaced dramatically. "Seriously, Mom? That's nothing any of your kids should have to hear."

"It was just a bit of fun." Esme tsked and pulled on her coat. "We had a really good time, it was just a shame we had an unwanted guest." She inclined her head towards Tanya, who was making a beeline for Edward.

"Why is she here?" he asked. "She couldn't stand Rose."

Esme shrugged and moved away to avoid talking to Tanya.

"Edward, sweetie, how are you?" Tanya held her arms out to Edward but he kept them firmly around my waist.

"Fantastic, Tanya. Have you met my Bella?" He moved and picked up my left hand, holding my ring front and centre. "We're engaged."

"Mm, we met. Congrats I suppose." She didn't look at either of us as she spoke. "I guess I'll see you at the wedding." I saw her smirk as she spoke and I really wanted to inflict some serious pain to that smug little face.

"Tanya, I'm afraid there's just not enough room. I know Jane's not coming but to be honest, that saves us a bit of a headache with the table plans. No hard feelings, I mean it must be really hard for you to see Edward here with his fiancée. Carmen's just mentioned that you're still hung up on him." Rose gave Tanya such a patronising smile and I could see the humiliation on her face, but she quickly gathered herself and began to speak.

"What? That's ridiculous, I'm more than over Eddie. It just seems a shame to waste what we had. God you remember how fantastic we were together, right, babe?" She attempted to touch his arm again but Edward rebuffed her instantly. I heard Esme mutter something in disgust to Rose's Mother.

"There was nothing fantastic about it, Tan. We got together, you were a bitch, and we broke up," Edward remarked. "I think you should turn around and walk away, you're making a complete fool of yourself."

"I think Edward's right, Tanya. You really need to leave," Esme warned but Tanya rolled her eyes.

"In denial much, Edward? Come on what the hell are you trying to prove? That you can slum it with a 'regular' chick?" She waited him for to answer and when he laughed she tried a different tactic. "I'm sorry, Eddie, I was stupid to treat you like I did, but the second I lost you I realised and I think we could be great together if we could just give it another shot."

"No thanks, I've got something better than great already and she's the least 'regular' person I've ever met. If you insist on making an absolute idiot of yourself please feel free to carry on, but we won't stand here and listen." Edward didn't raise his voice or change the tone, he spoke with such a bored and detached voice that I could see Tanya realise he was serious. He turned his back and pulled me towards Rose and Caitlyn who were glaring at her. I wriggled free and walked quickly back to Tanya.

"I feel sorry for you. I almost lost him once and I was lucky enough to get him back. I don't know if this is just another publicity stunt or if you genuinely do realise what you've let go. But to be honest, Tanya, I don't really care. Stay the fuck away from my fiancée," I hissed the last part so quietly in her ear that there was no way Esme or Caitlyn would hear. I turned on my heels and headed back to Edward's side. Without another word, Tanya scowled and stormed out of the bar.

As Tanya walked away Rose took a breath. "Who the hell did she think she was strolling in here like that? Does she not think I heard what she used to say about me and Em?"

"What did she say?" I asked inquisitively.

"She called me Anne Bancroft. Said Em and I were a modern day version of _The Graduate_. She's lucky I was sober and in control of my actions, otherwise I dread to think what could have happened." She shook her head.

Someone came over to wish Rosalie good night and she walked away. I was relieved it wasn't just because of me that Tanya wasn't invited to the wedding. But the more people that despised her the better as far as I was concerned. After all, there's nothing worse than being the new girlfriend who comes to realise that everyone in your boyfriend's family adores the ex-girlfriend.

"Mom, do you and Caitlyn want to take the car to the hotel. I wouldn't mind taking a walk with Bella?" Edward asked and I looked at him in horror.

"Walk? Edward, it's freezing outside and I'm a bit exposed." I gestured to my bare back and he smiled.

"I brought your coat." He reached beside me and handed me the long winter coat. It didn't exactly look right with my dress, but it was a better option than hypothermia.

"Are we still meeting for breakfast?" Esme checked before she and Caitlyn left.

"Yeah of course, Mom." Edward gave them both a hug and we walked them to the car.

I shivered as the cold air met my face. I wrapped my coat around me as tight as I could. "Remind me again why we're walking in this weather?"

"I know it's cold, Bella, but I love being able to do this with you. It's almost as though the only time we ever get alone is when we're cooped up inside the apartment. Even though we've got Felix on our ass, it still feels nice to be just us." He smiled down at me and laughed. "I'm not at my most masculine tonight am I?"

"No, I get it. I love when it's just us, too. But I should advise against trying to hold a conversation with me, I probably won't hear a word you say because my teeth are chattering together so loudly." I let him pull me tightly into the crook of his arm and I nestled my face as close to him as I could. He seemed to be walking with a purpose and the nice "stroll" was turning into a march. When we stopped at the edge of the park I realised what he had planned and I felt a huge painful smile form on my face.

"It's Valentine's Day tomorrow and although you might hate it, I'm actually quite excited about our first one together. As my brother has chosen tomorrow to get married, I figured that we could have our own celebration tonight. And that also means that you can't complain because, technically, it's not Valentine's Day yet." He nodded at a man stood beside a horse and carriage and then helped me up.

_I know Valentine's Day is a big materialistic con, but this is perfect_.

As the horse moved gracefully along I couldn't take my eyes from Edward's, I was vaguely aware of the driver pointing out the sights as we passed them, but even he soon realised that neither of us were paying much attention and he fell quiet. Despite the cold temperature I was thoroughly enjoying my non-valentine's day date. Being in the carriage granted Edward anonymity and we could just enjoy "us" as he'd wanted to do. I needed to make the most of tonight with Edward, tomorrow I'd have to spend most of the day watching him from a distance. He would be upfront during the ceremony, involved in all the wedding photographs, sitting at the top table with the rest of his family, and until the evening reception was in full flow I'd probably not get more than a few stolen moments with him. I comforted myself with the fact that when it was our wedding, I wouldn't be away from his side the entire day. Wait a second, I was just fantasizing about our wedding? Mm, that was a surprising new development. Usually any wedding thoughts which involved me in a dress and veil brought an anxious few minutes of sweating and deep breathing, but tonight I was calm and seemingly cool as a cucumber?

_Welcome; in this part of your mind we fantasize about weddings all the time._

After about forty minutes the carriage returned to it's starting point and we jumped out. I made a fuss of the horse as Edward paid the driver and I noticed Felix immediately resumed his safe distance as soon as we had both feet back on the side walk. I could only imagine the pacing he had been doing while we were in the carriage.

We set off walking again and as we approached the hotel I looked at it in awe. I had been past here countless times but had never even stepped foot inside the doors.

Everything about the hotel was magnificent, sure it was a little ostentatious for my liking, but it was still the Plaza and I couldn't wait to have a snoop around the place.

The lights illuminated the entrance and made it seem that much more elaborate as we walked through the doors into the lobby. The flooring, the walls, ceilings, and décor were sublime and all matched perfectly.

Edward strode up to the desk confidently and was greeted warmly by the man behind the desk. "Is the room ready?" he asked and the man smiled.

"Of course, Sir. Just as you asked."

We then walked over to the elevators and I looked at Edward questioningly. "What was that all about?" I asked but he just laughed.

"You'll see." He didn't say another word all the way to our room or suite or whatever the hell we were staying in.

_Suite of course._

"I...um...booked the Edwardian Suite." He chuckled as he opened the door. "Thought it was funny."

"This is the Edwardian Suite? You're kidding, right?" I giggled and he shook his head.

"Nope, deadly serious and do you want to hear another funny little thing? Rose and Emily are sleeping in the Rose Suite tonight. How fucking weird is that?" He laughed again and I did the same. Although my laughter stopped and I gasped as I took in the room.

There were petals leading from the door to the bedroom and the makeshift pathway was lit by small candles, he led me slowly along the path and into the bedroom. The bed was covered in petals too and more candles littered the room. Beside the bed was a serving table with a bucket of ice containing a bottle of champagne, two glasses and a crystal dish full of strawberries.

_How can this man be ours?_

"Edward, this is perfect. I can't believe you've done this. Thank you." I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could and kissed him to show just how much I appreciated this.

"Just to clarify though. It isn't a cheesy valentine's day gesture given that it is not quite Valentine's Day," he murmured against my lips and then laid me down on the bed. He jumped straight back up and opened the champagne, being careful to not cause to much damage when the cork flew out of the top. He handed me a glass and then picked up the strawberries before joining me on the bed. "Oh, and don't worry about the candles, the hotel wouldn't let me use open-flamed ones so I bought little battery operated ones."

He fed me a strawberry and then popped one in his mouth. "Mm these are good."

We chatted about everything and nothing as we fed each other the strawberries and drank the champagne, we were sitting opposite each other cross legged, I could see his eyes were burning and I felt the same. I crawled as close to him as I could and climbed onto his lap. When I kissed him he moaned. I could taste the combination of strawberries and champagne on his lips and it tasted fucking incredible. He was incredible.

What was left of the champagne and the strawberries were forgotten about and he rolled over me, kissing me in a way left me unable to focus on anything but him. He slowly moved down my body, removing my dress as he did; whispering, "Beautiful."

His mouth captured my breasts and his hand wandered lower, finding its way between my legs. "Edward," I breathed as his finger slowly circled my clit.

"Mm?" he asked, sucking on my nipple. I arched my back, as his finger pushed inside me. "Is that better?"

I could hear the smirk in his voice, so I shook my head and rolled over him. "Tease," I growled, and quickly tore at his shirt; exposing his smooth chest.

"I do love Inner-Bella," he said, laughing. "But not as much as I love you."

"Smooth talker," I said and helped him shuffle down his pants.

He lifted me off the bed slightly to reposition himself and then lowered me down. I threw my head back as he filled me, nothing could ever compare to this. I felt his hands hold my hips and he began to urge me to move.

As I rocked back and forth, swivelling my hips I watched him. His mouth hung open and his eyes stared right back at me.

"You look so perfect like this," he panted. "I can't believe I found someone like you...I love you."

"I love you," I told him, my heart almost bursting with emotion.

I kept my movements slow, languid even, and Edward seemed content with that. Tonight there was no urgency, no uncontrollable lust. We were still enjoying the "us" time. Edward's nerves about the speech were forgotten, my nerves about everything wedding related were forgotten, and for a few hours everything to do with James was forgotten.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D bigdollymomma has offered to beta for me, but I just can't save the edits she does for me on my phone. So my comma crimes continue unfortunately!**

**I am so sorry for being a big fat fail at review replies...I do read each one but it's taking me so long just to edit the chapters I barely have time for anything else!**

**Hopefully my new shiny laptop should be here tomorrow, so I can get back to normal way of writing!**

**Thanks a million for reading and reviewing I love you guys to bits :)**

**Xxx**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34 - I'm Not Letting Go Again**

**BPOV**

I woke up early, much earlier than I needed to and I soon realised what had disturbed my sleep...or should I say, who? Edward was pacing, back and forth, up and down, from one side of the bedroom to the other. I could see his lips moving rapidly, but no sound came from his mouth. His eyes were closed and his hands were knotted in front of his stomach. I could see how tense he was, the tendons in his neck were taut and his jaw was rigid.

"Nervous?" I asked, and he snapped his eyes open.

"Mm, I feel sick. I wish I'd told Emmett to ask Garrett instead." He flopped onto the bed beside me and groaned, burying his face into the pillow.

I reached over and played with the hairs at the nape of his neck, he lay still for a few minutes before he rolled back to face me. "God damn Rose and her big fucking wedding."

I laughed. "Hey, welcome to my way of thinking."

He sighed. "I can see why she's doing it. After all the shit that got printed about her and Em, I think she's enjoying saying a big 'up yours' to everyone. "

"Did they get a lot of bad press, then?" I wondered aloud.

Edward nodded. "She got labelled as a cougar and everyone went on and on at how it wouldn't last because he was part of a band and only in his twenties. It was stupid, I mean it's nine years not twenty-nine. I'm sure if it was the other way around Em would have been the ultimate stud."

"Did the age thing bother your parents?" I asked but I already knew his answer. Esme and Carlisle had to be the most easy-going and down to earth people I'd ever met.

"No, they saw it like I did—if he's happy then so what? The way I look at it, it's pretty black and white. Every morning I wake up with a huge grin plastered over my face just because you're there. If Rose makes Em feel anything like that then that's good enough for me. What else matters?" He shrugged casually and I was just staring at him in absolute awe.

_Wow, this fella needs a promotion. Mr. Delicious just doesn't cover it. Edward, I knight thee Sir Delicious. There that's better._

We lounged about for an hour or so before breakfast. Well, I lounged about, Edward was growing increasingly anxious and couldn't sit still for long. He went over and over his speech in his head silently, still refusing to let anyone hear it until after the wedding.

When we all met for breakfast a little later, I noticed Emmett was in far worse shape than Edward. He looked like he had been awake all night and he barely managed more than a nod when he saw us.

"Goodness me, look at the pair of you," Esme remarked as we sat down. "Try to remember this is a happy occasion."

Neither replied with much more than a grunt and Carlisle laughed. "Oh, how I remember how you're feeling, Emmett." He patted his eldest son on the shoulder. "Trust me, as soon as you see her coming down the aisle you'll be right as rain." He turned his attention to Edward. "Unfortunately, Edward, you're pretty much done for until the toasts are done. Good luck with that."

I bit back a smile as Edward glared at his father incredulously. "Not helping, Dad," he growled and everyone else burst out laughing. It had the intended effect on Emmett and he was noticeably more relaxed. Edward, on the other hand, was not.

I squeezed his hand under the table and could feel his palms getting clammy. He picked at his breakfast without eating much of it, he did drink several cups of coffee and it made him even more jittery.

The majority of the conversation came from Caitlyn who was beyond excited, she was talking at such a fast speed that it sounded like someone had her on fast forward. She couldn't wait to head up to Rosalie's room to start getting ready and by the end of her breakfast everyone felt pretty much the same as she did.

_Good luck, Rose. I swear that kid's on speed._

We finished up about ten and Edward was going to get ready with Emmett and his parents in their suite. I was invited of course, but I needed to be away from the nervous energy they were both oozing. I had to psyche myself up for this as it was, throw in Edward and Emmett and I'd end up needing Valium. Esme insisted that I come to their room as soon as I was ready and we could go downstairs to the ceremony together. I agreed and gave Edward a quick kiss before I went back to our room.

I had a relaxing bath and made good use of the alone time to focus on the wedding and clear my head of any worries about it. I needed to look at it as just a wedding. The guests were just regular guests, not famous actresses, singers, models etc. The photographers would just be trying to capture moments for Rose and Emmett, snd I refused to allow myself to think that these pictures would end up on the front page of OK magazine. I was just a guest who happened to be engaged to the best man and I would spend the evening with him as any other normal couple and it was as simple as that.

_Yeah right. Normal wedding._

I managed to keep my head and got ready slowly. I didn't allow myself to get stressed when my hair refused to coöperate with the curling iron and I had to drastically reconsider my style. I was no Trevor Sorbie so I had to settle for tying it up into a loose, messy, side bun and let a few strands hang down. It wasn't the best look but I didn't have Alice or a stylist to help me...besides, all eyes would be fixed on the bride. I kept my make up simple, because I couldn't be bothered with frequent trips to and from the bathroom to touch it up. Finally, I slipped into my dress and shoes and took a peek in mirror.

The dress was so pretty and it made up for my less than average hair and plain make-up. With one last glance I snatched up my purse and headed upstairs to Esme and Carlisle's room. There was a little over an hour until the service was due to start and my nerves were beginning to build, so I could only imagine how Edward was feeling. He and Emmett had already gone downstairs to talk to the registrar and have a few photographs before the ceremony.

Carlisle opened the door and rolled his eyes. "Come on in, Bella. Esme isn't quite ready I'm afraid. Let me get you a glass of champagne, you look like you need it."

I scowled, thinking my poker face had been cemented in place. Obviously not. "Thanks, Carlisle."

"Edward and Emmett were in a bit of a mess when they left. I had to give them both a whiskey to try to calm them down. I hope it's done the trick." He smiled as he handed me the drink. "You look lovely."

"Um thanks." I smiled, feeling a little embarrassed. We made small talk for several minutes whilst waiting for Esme. When she did finally appear she looked stunning. She had on a knee-length tunic dress in a pretty duck egg blue. Over the top she wore a matching jacket which was the same length as her dress. She had her hair curled and left to hang down and she had a super chic white fascinator pinned to her curls. The striking bronze colour that Edward had inherited shone in the light and she looked like a movie star.

"Esme, you look amazing," I said, and she smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Bella, but my goodness so do you, sweetheart. I'm sorry I was late, I had a bit of a cry when the boys were ready to leave. You wait and see how handsome they are, Bella." She took a glass of champagne from Carlisle. "I can't believe my Emmett is getting married and having a child of his own. It's wonderful. And we've still got your wedding to look forward to." She shot me a beaming smile and I laughed.

"Esme, Edward told you not to hassle Bella about that," Carlisle warned, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke. "Come on drink up, we need to be downstairs to greet the guests."

Esme talked excitedly about how she was dying to see Caitlyn and Rosalie in their respective dresses. I could see where Edward's sister got her enthusiasm, she was a tiny version of Esme.

In the lobby we were directed to The Terrace Room in which the ceremony was being held. Outside the door we were greeted by a woman with a clipboard, ear piece, and a very stressed and scary looking face.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, you're a little late. This way, please, we need a few photographs before the guests begin to arrive." She flicked her dark hair and marched us into the room.

To say it was beautiful was an understatement. The room was almost palace like. The artistry which covered the ceilings was breathtaking. The light from the chandeliers illuminated the room perfectly and Rosalie had incorporated a Valentine's Day theme without detracting anything from the room itself. The row upon row of chairs had all been swathed in a white material and a posy of red roses fixed to the back of each individual chair with ribbon. The aisle was covered in red and white petals and huge arrangements of matching red and white roses were placed strategically around the room. At the end of the aisle was a slightly raised platform on which they would take their vows. Even though it wasn't how I would choose to get married, there was no denying the effort taken to prepare the room and it was exactly how Rose had envisaged it.

"You must be, Miss. Swan?" The bossy planner was standing in front of me tap, tap, tapping her foot impatiently. "Please make your way to the second row on the right."

I nodded and moved forward. Then I saw Edward and Emmett appear from behind one of the pillars at the side of the room. They were standing with the minister, talking intently about the service I presumed.

_Holy moly, just take a look at Sir Delicious._

They were dressed in morning suits. Their jackets were black and they had on grey pin striped trousers. Their jackets were unbuttoned to reveal the crisp white shirts, red waistcoats, and matching red cravats they were wearing underneath. Edward was fidgeting nervously with his hands and Emmett was chewing on his fingers and almost looked a pale shade of green. As the minister continued to talk to them Edward looked up and caught my eye. He smiled and walked straight over after excusing himself from the conversation. As soon as he reached me he pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me.

"Bella, you look absolutely beautiful." He glanced up at Esme and Carlisle. "You too, Mom."

Esme smiled and then looked in the direction of Emmett. "How's he doing?"

"He's a mess, he almost threw up on the way downstairs." Edward laughed.

"Oh dear, come on, Carlisle, we'd better go and talk to him." Esme walked briskly away with Carlisle hot on her heels.

"Edward, you look so smart and handsome." I reached up and touched the lapel on his jacket.

"What do you think to all the red? A little much I thought."

"For me it is. But for Rosalie Hale's Valentine's Day wedding it's perfect." I felt his lips on my forehead and then my cheek and then he kissed me softly on my lips. As he kissed me I could hear a faint clicking sound but I refused to let it interrupt, this was probably the most I was going to get for a while.

"Ah, lovely shot," Bossy Planner woman cooed and I looked over at her in confusion.

"Pardon me?" I asked and she inclined her head towards a photographer who was standing in the room.

"Derrick loves to capture real moments, not just carefully prepared poses. The ones he has just caught of you two are perfect." She clapped her hands at Edward who was clearly unhappy with her for interrupting. "Edward, we need to get you to the door to greet the guests. We'll get a few more shots of the groom and his family up there."

Edward saluted her sarcastically and kissed me once more before walking away. I took my seat on the second row and turned to watch as soon as the guests began to arrive. They were all greeted politely by Esme, Carlisle, Edward, and then finally Emmett who quite obviously didn't recognize some of the people he was welcoming to his wedding. I sat alone for several minutes before I was joined by some of Edward's family. They congratulated me on our engagement and then continued to talk amongst themselves. Edward's nan, however, greeted me like an old friend.

"It's lovely to see you again, Bella. How are you?" She sat down beside me, smiling.

"I'm really good thank you, Mrs. Cullen. How about yourself?"

"I can't complain. I haven't seen you to congratulate you on your engagement. It's been a busy few months for the Cullen family." She laughed and began perusing the order of service which had been placed on each seat.

We were soon joined by Garrett, Seth, Johnny and Art who sat behind us.

"Hey, Bella. My, Mrs. Cullen, are you taking some reverse ageing potion?" Seth grinned at Edward's Nan who scoffed.

"Seth, you may be able to charm the panties of all the other women in the room, but I can assure you I don't appreciate the effort." She turned her nose up and looked forward. Seth stuck his tongue out like a petulant school boy and I smirked. "I saw that, Seth." Edward's Nan added without looking in his direction, and Seth hung his head sheepishly.

The room filled surprisingly quickly and with just over ten minutes to go before Rosalie's arrival, Edward, Emmett, and their parents came to sit down. The brothers took up their position in the front row and Edward reached behind and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. Esme was constantly trying to reassure Emmett to relax and enjoy the day but he was turning a darker shade of green with every passing minute.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for the bride," the minister announced and everyone stood up.

I felt Edwards hand slip from mine and he turned to face the front, patting Emmett on the back. "You're up, buddy."

Emmett blew out his cheeks and nodded as they both stepped forward to stand in front of the minister at the makeshift altar. I turned to look for Rose as the doors opened. I first caught sight of Caitlyn and Emily each clutching a white bouquet of roses which stood out dramatically against the red of their dresses. Caitlyn was beaming from ear to ear, she looked as though she was about to begin skipping down the aisle, she shot us an even bigger grin as she walked past.

As soon as the bridesmaids were in position everyone began to watch for Rosalie. She had gone with traditional music and the all familiar sound of _Here Comes the Bride_ began echoing through the room. She stepped forwards, her arm linked tightly in her fathers. She had on a beautiful ivory gown. It was off the shoulder and the material gathered in ruffles around her waist, hiding the slightest hint of a baby bump on her ordinarily tiny frame.

Her long blonde hair had been curled and pinned back and a tiara kept in place the veil which hung down her back. She had a simple bouquet of red roses in her other hand, but the prettiest thing about the entire ensemble was the smile on her face as she looked down the aisle at Emmett.

I glanced around to look at him and he was returning her gaze, he no longer looked nervous just blissfully happy.

As neither of the families was particularly religious the couple made no promises to God, just promises to each other. Their vows were heartfelt and sweet and it was less than twenty minutes before the minister pronounced them husband and wife. Everyone applauded as they shared a kiss and then began to walk back down the aisle hand in hand. Edward followed them and held out his hand to me to walk with him. I took it and we walked behind his parents to the top of the room.

"Now I'm going to get really fucking nervous," he complained. His hands were clammy again and he had paled considerably.

"You'll be fine. A few minutes talking to everyone and it will be over." I leaned into him and kissed his cheek.

The wedding planner was still on fine form and she ushered the majority of the guests into the Grand Ballroom where the evening reception was being held. A few remained, invited to be a part of the photographs. The photographer pulled and pushed people in and out of shots, clicking away furiously. I managed to avoid being involved and hovered near the back of the room with Art and Seth who looked bored to death.

"God, I hate shit like this," Art grumbled.

"Snap," I muttered, keeping my eyes on Edward's nervous smile.

"Yeah right. All girls love weddings don't they?" Seth scoffed.

"I most certainly don't. I couldn't be doing with all this stress. Worrying about where you're going to seat guests who you've not actually seen for god knows how many years." I shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat I suppose."

"Well, I'll never be following in Emmett's footsteps, there's certainly no future Mrs. Clearwater for me." Seth winked at me. "It would be a complete travesty if I were to settle down with one woman."

We were still chatting when the Hitler-esque wedding planner started rawping at the top of her voice. "OKAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE GRAND BALLROOM FOR THE RECEPTION. THE BRIDE AND GROOM ARE HAVING A FEW MORE PRIVATE FAMILY PHOTOS BEFORE JOINING YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

I began to follow Seth and Art out of the room when I felt a small hand yank my arm. "Bella, didn't you hear? We're having family photos, come on." Caitlyn dragged me towards the others.

_Wow, you're officially family. How nice does that sound?_

I went straight to give Rosalie and Emmett a hug. "Congratulations, guys, you looked so beautiful, Rose."

"Thanks, Bella, my mouths frickin' killing me. I'm getting fed up of smiling." Rose laughed.

I stepped to Edward's side and he put his hand on my back. We were ordered to smile and then the relentless flashing resumed. By the time he was done I was still seeing flashes in my eyes and I felt as though my smile had been frozen to my face.

We left Rosalie and Emmett to have one or two more shots on their own and were escorted to the Ballroom. This too had been transformed and looked amazing. Circular glass tables and the same white chairs were set to look upon the top table which was currently taking up position on the dance floor. In the centre of each table there was a red wreath of roses with a tall encased candle burning away. All the napkins and place cards were embroidered with R&E in each corner. Obviously Edward would be sitting at the top table and I was joined by, Edward's Nan, Art, Seth, Garrett, Seth's mother and father, and Edward's aunt and uncle. The table sat ten but there was an empty place beside me. I slipped the place card with my name on into my purse and fiddled with the napkin.

The master of ceremonies at the hotel asked us to be upstanding for Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Cullen and they emerged into the room amidst a huge round of applause and whistling. They took their seats at the top table with each set of parents, Caitlyn, Edward, and Rose's bridesmaid Emily.

The servers came round and poured everyone a glass of champagne for the speeches and first up was Rosalie's father. He stuck to the usual and thanked everyone for coming, congratulating the people who had helped put it all together, and gushed about his beautiful daughter. Emmett kept his extremely short and sweet. He followed the same line of thanks and then thanked Rose for making him the happiest man on the planet, which earned him a great deal of "awe" from the guests. As he handed over to Edward, I honestly thought he was about to bolt from the room. He loosened his top button on his shirt nervously and took a deep breath as he stood, all eyes waiting expectantly.

"Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know, I'm Edward, Emmett's younger brother. I have to admit that I was more than a little nervous about doing this whole best man thing and making the speech so I thought it would be best if I prepared a few lines beforehand." Edward paused. "And I have to say, having snorted them I feel much better."

The room erupted with shrieks of laughter and even Edwards eighty-seven year old nan smiled. As soon as the room had calmed down he continued. It seemed the appreciation for his joke had relaxed him and he flew through the rest with ease. The speech remained tasteful but he still managed to include several jokes at his brother's expense, which went down a storm. He finished with a toast to the bride and groom and threw back the glass quickly. He was given a huge cheer as he sat down. I smiled at him proudly as he chatted with Rosalie's mother. Just a few minutes later he appeared beside me and pulled out the empty chair at the table.

"You sitting with us, bud?" Art asked and Edward nodded.

"Yeah, I wanted to sit with Bella but Rose figured she'd rather not be sat up there so she moved me here instead." He shuffled his chair closer to mine, our legs touching under the table. "Thank God that's over." He leaned down and kissed my hair.

"You were great, Edward." I turned my face around to look at him and he kissed my lips softly.

"Hey come on, guys. We don't need to see that," Seth groaned and pulled a face. "I know you too can't seem to keep your hands off each other but I'm sure you can manage it for a few hours. You're not at Art's now you know?"

I looked at him in horror and Edward laughed. "Don't know what you're talking about, Seth." He shrugged.

"Shut up, Edward, everyone knew exactly what was going on..."

I cut Seth off sharply, "Please, Seth, just shut up. I am going to combust with shame if you keep talking."

Art frowned. "Yeah for the love of God, Seth, shut up. I don't want to hear another word." He turned to, Edward. "Seriously man? In my bar?"

Edward shook his head innocently. "No, Art, definitely not in your bar, maybe in one of the back rooms..." He tried to hide the smile but Art noticed and he groaned.

I was mortified, the entire table had listened in and I expected to see disapproving looks from Edward's family members. However, they were all laughing. Even his Nan.

_See there's nothing wrong with a healthy sex life. We have constructed a list of all the available places to do it here. Let me know when you want an idea, okay?_

As we ate, the conversation flowed easily. Edward's Nan hogged most of the attention, she was reeling off her life stories as only older people can. Seth and Art looked a little bored but I was enthralled. My own grandparents had passed away years ago and I had no one else of this generation to give me a play-by-play of their life. I could have listened to her all evening. A story about the night she met Edward's grandfather was interrupted by the announcement that the Bride and Groom were about to share their first dance.

Emmett had Rosalie's hand in his and they stopped in the middle of the dance floor. The lights dimmed and then the music started. Naturally, I was expecting a traditional ballad but as soon as I recognised the melody I laughed.

_And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know, _

_Wo, wo, wo, _

_God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson, Heaven holds a place for those who pray, _

_Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey._

Well Rosalie was certainly achieving her "fuck you" jibe and the song was brilliant. A complete and utter piss take at the press and anyone else that made fun of her. I watched as Emmett sang to her and danced her around the floor, she let him twirl her and lead her all the way. She never stopped smiling. Everyone appreciated the song choice and they all gave a rapturous round of applause to which the happy couple took a bow. When a slow number began to play, Rose beckoned people to join them and then she wrapped her arms around her husband and they began to sway slowly to the music. They were joined on the dance floor by Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie's parents, Emily and her partner, and a few other couples who I didn't know. Seth stood and walked over to Caitlyn and took her to dance. She was giggling as he picked her up and set her upon his feet before beginning to move slowly.

Edward held out his hand. "Dance with me, Bella?"

I didn't do dancing, but I couldn't say no, it was actually a physical impossibility to say no to the puss in boots eyes that he seemed to master better and better as each hour passed. I sighed and took his hand, dragging my feet as he led me to the dance floor. As soon as I felt his arms encircle my waist and his face press against my hair I relaxed and lay my head on his shoulder. We didn't move much, in fact we barely did anything more than swaying on the spot. This kind of dancing I could happily deal with.

"I love you." I pulled back slightly to look at him. He smiled and I kissed him softly before he could say anything back.

The night was really good. Edward never left my side for more than a few minutes and he introduced me to all of his friends and family who were in attendance. I was thoroughly enjoying myself, everyone was having a good time, and the atmosphere in the room was fantastic. Thanks to a fair few glasses of Champagne I took to the dance floor once or twice with Caitlyn, Esme, and Rose. The few minutes on the dance floor were about as much as I saw her all night. She and Emmett were constantly on patrol talking to the guests, no one seemed to notice she kept the same glass of untouched champagne in her hand for the majority of the night.

The night seemed to fly by and just after midnight Edward and I escaped the room for a few minutes peace and quiet. We took a seat in the lobby and relaxed.

"So, have you enjoyed yourself?" Edward asked, he was tracing his fingertips along my shoulder, neck and other shoulder.

"Actually, I really have. It's nothing like I thought it would be. Honestly, I expected something like the party we went to in LA." I shivered and had to shuffle further down, his touch was quite literally too much to bear.

We remained on the couch for a good ten minutes before we were joined by Carlisle, Esme, Art, and a very sleepy looking Caitlyn.

Esme settled down in a chair and Caitlyn snuggled up beside Edward. "Well it's been a lovely day. Have you two enjoyed yourselves?"

I nodded, a huge smile fixed on my face. "It was really nice."

It was clear everyone was exhausted, it had been a long day. Only a few minutes after she'd sat beside Edward, Caitlyn had fallen asleep. It was the first time I'd been in her company and she hadn't been talking. Emmett walked over and gasped in horror.

"My God what have you done to my sister? Has she had her vocal chords removed?" He plonked down beside Art on the couch opposite.

"Where's the wife?" Edward winked.

"Shit, I still can't get used to that." Emmett laughed, "But she's just saying goodbye to some of her friends. Nice speech, bro."

"Yes it really was, Edward," Esme acknowledged with a proud smile.

"Well, that's the last time I'll ever be doing that. It was horrendous. I swear to god it's the worse thing I've ever done." He shook his head, looking like he was reliving those few minutes before he stood up. "I'm so getting you back for this, Em. You know it."

"I don't doubt your intentions, Edward, but unfortunately for you I have Bella on my side." Emmett winked and I looked at him.

"Um...excuse me?" I clarified.

"Well, there's no way in hell you guys will be having a big wedding like this, so at worst I'll have to say a few words to maybe fifty people. Sorry, Eddie, you lose on this one." He laughed and clapped his hands.

Edward sighed and shook his head at me. "Look at that, Bella, favouring my brother." I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Come on, you two, have you even thought about when you'll be getting married or where you'd want to do it?" Esme perched forward and looked at us hopefully. "We've been bitten by the bug now, Bella, we need another wedding."

"Okay, if we're going to start talking _my_ _wedding_, then I'm going to make my escape." I laughed and stood. Edward tried to follow me but he couldn't without disturbing Caitlyn.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Just to the bathroom," I whispered.

"Oh right, I thought you really were taking off." He looked around and nodded to someone. When I turned to look I frowned.

"I didn't know Felix was here," I grumbled. "Couldn't you have given the poor guy a night off?"

Edward shook his head. "Relax, Bella, he's not coming into the bathroom with you, but you're just too damn important to me and I'm not taking any chances until we know for sure he's gone."

I sighed and nodded, his concern was sweet but it was highly embarrassing that I needed an escort to go and pee. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Make sure the talk is not about _our _wedding when I get back, please?" I pleaded with him and he smirked.

"Try my very best, Ms. Swan."

I walked away, very much aware that the huge frame of Felix was close behind me. I wondered what this would look like to the average passer-by who didn't understand why his presence was necessary. Perhaps the headlines in tomorrow's papers would be, _Edward Cullen's fiancée has late-night rendezvous in bathroom with huge man. _It would certainly make for interesting reading.

The toilets were situated near the main doors and out of sight of Edward and the rest of the Cullens. I went to go inside and looked back. Felix had stopped by the entrance to the men's room and leaned back against the wall. I smiled politely and then stepped inside. I had my choice of cubicle as they were all empty and even the toilet attendant was nowhere to be found. I sat down and almost straight away my phone buzzed.

_Sorry, Bella, Mom is very much insisting on continuing with the wedding talk when you get back. E x_

I sighed.

**You are supposed to be on my side, Cullen.**

_I'm afraid I'm with my mother on this. I know a way of shutting her up though?_

**Oh yeah, what's that?**

_Marry me?_

**I'd rather not have this conversation via text while I'm sitting on the toilet.**

_Okay, we'll talk about it later._

**Much, much, later? Like next month or next year perhaps?**

_Jeez, Bella, how long are you planning on being in there?_

**Ha ha, I'll only be a few minutes. In fact I'd be finished already but this weird man keeps texting me while I'm trying to go to the loo.**

_Hurry back, or I might have to come looking for you ;)_

**Mm that sounds tempting...there's no one else in here so I might take my time on purpose ;)**

_That's teasing._

**I know x**

I put my phone down and went to wash my hands. I was smiling like a freak.

_Good job there's no one else in here, if anyone saw you coming from the toilet smiling like that, they'd think you'd been up to something in there._

I was just touching up my lipstick when I heard the door open and the lights went out.

_Oh yeah, he got fed up of waiting and came for some bathroom fun. How sturdy is that counter?_

I couldn't see anything, my eyes were still adjusting to the sudden darkness. But I could hear his footsteps slowly move across the floor.

"Couldn't wait then?" I giggled, but he didn't reply.

I felt him press up behind me and I breathed in to take in his smell. Instead of being hit with his usual, heart racing and stomach-tingling, aroma, I was hit with a nasty combination of coffee and cigarettes. As I tried to fit the pieces together he spoke, "I've been waiting for seven fucking years, Isabella." James unmistakable voice growled in my ear and before I had chance to scream he clamped his hand down over my mouth. "Now I've got you, I'm not letting you go again."

I bit down hard on his hand and he roared. The pain momentarily distracted him and he released his grip on me. I darted out of his hold and made a run for the door. I didn't get more than two steps before something took out my legs from beneath me and I fell, striking my head on the solid granite counter. I slumped to the floor and could feel the blood slowly down my face. James squatted beside me. His hands moved to my head and he tangled them in my hair, as he brought his face to mine I thought he was going to kiss me. I felt a brief stab of fear before my head was slammed backwards against the wall and then everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I am writing this and then hiding from you guys! Don't hate me for the ending of this chapter...it had to finish there. We all knew he was coming back right?**

**Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading this, but all mistakes belong to me...**

**I love you guys for reading and for all your amazing reviews! **

**Mwah,**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35 - I Think They'll Call It**

**EPOV**

I watched her walk away, watched Felix walk after her, and watched them both walk out of sight. It was strange, but the second she was away from me I felt anxious. I tried not to tense too much, my sister was still fast asleep beneath my arm and I was enjoying her silence far too much to run the risk of disturbing her.

I saw Emmett eyeing me studiously. "What?" I sighed.

"Nothing, just wondering how you're ever going to convince Bella to take the trip down the aisle. She doesn't seem as keen as you do," he snickered and my mom shot him a warning look. "Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious."

"I've got a plan, don't you worry about that." I laughed. "I'll need all the help I can get, but still, it might just work."

"Ooh, what is it?" Mom trilled excitedly.

"It's top secret. I have one co-conspirator and that's all I'm saying." I winked and refused to say another word, much to my mother's irritation.

I was still feeling off somehow and I considered calling Bella to check she was okay. Not wanting to appear insane and overbearing, I settled on sending her a text instead. We enjoyed a few minutes of banter and I relaxed.

"Jeez, Edward, let the poor girl take a piss in peace." Art rolled his eyes. "We're supposed to act cool around the chicks, remember?"

"Are you kidding me? Art, the eternal bachelor is giving relationship advice to a guy who lives with, and is engaged to the perfect girl? I think we've got a bit of a role reversal going on here," I joked and Art conceded.

"Fair point. But harassing her while she's in the bathroom is still lame, man."

We continued to chat about the wedding, and Emmett and Rose's honeymoon. They were heading over to Saint-Bart's on Monday morning for two weeks R&R. I could have done with some myself. The fortnight away with Bella was something I was looking forward to, but that holiday was also part of my plan so we wouldn't be going just yet.

Not that I was counting or anything, but it had been fourteen minutes since Bella's last text and there was no sign of her or Felix. I frowned and sent her another message.

_Thought you were going to be back quickly?_

No reply. I left it for a few minutes before trying again.

_Bella, are you okay?_

Still nothing. I forgot about seeming overbearing and called her. It rang and rang before tripping to her voice mail so I hung up. I scoured around the room looking for any sign of her or Felix, but the lobby was deserted.

"Edward, what's wrong?" my dad asked.

"Bella's been in the bathroom ages. I've tried calling her but she's not answering. I'm going to try Felix." I dialled his number and that went straight to voice mail. Now I was officially worried.

"I'll go check she's not sick." Mom smiled and stood up. "Or she might just be talking to someone. Try not to worry, Edward."

I moved Caitlyn onto the couch carefully, but she didn't flinch so I stood and followed after Mom. As soon as we rounded the corner and approached the door she held out her hand and stopped me.

"Edward, wait outside, it's the ladies room, okay?" She opened the door slightly and then stopped. "Oh, the lights are off. She must have used a different bathroom."

"No, I saw her and Felix walk over here." I started to ring her again, remaining outside the door.

There was no sign of Bella, Felix, or anyone at all. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and I willed her to answer. From inside the bathroom I could hear a noise; a cell phone ringing, and as Bella's number cut to voice mail again, the sound from the bathroom stopped. I immediately rang her again and the sound resumed. I looked at my mother and pushed through the door.

I flicked on the light switch and heard my mom gasp. The first thing I saw was Bella's purse on the counter, and then, as I let my gaze drop, I noticed what had scared my mom.

_Blood_.

Blood on the edge of the counter and a small, smudged puddle on the floor. I stepped forward and ran my fingertips over the drop on the floor and found it was still wet. I looked down at my reddened fingers and I froze in horror.

"Oh my God," I heard my mother choke, and then she streaked out of the bathroom shouting for help.

I was helpless. I had no idea what to do, so I just stood looking at the blood, and tried to imagine what the hell had happened to Bella.

_James Hunter. _

The thoughts that raced through my mind were unbearable, so I turned and flung open the door. I barged past Emmett and Art who were approaching, and sprinted outside to the concierge.

"Have you seen anyone leave here…within the last twenty minutes? A girl, dark hair, and wearing a long pink dress?" I shouted loud enough to draw the attention of anyone passing by. Even at this late hour there were people walking in front of the hotel and they all looked to see what was going down.

The man looked startled at my aggression and he nodded. "Yes, Sir, maybe ten or fifteen minutes ago. The lady was accompanied by her husband and he asked for their car to be brought around to the front."

"What did he look like?" I asked, although I already knew. The bastard had gotten to her, he'd taken her while I'd been sitting not a hundred yards away laughing and joking with my family.

"Tall, muscular, and fair hair. I didn't really notice much else. I was more concerned with the young lady." He looked at me and sighed.

"Why, what was wrong with her?" I felt sick, it rose up in waves and I almost couldn't get out the words, the bile was burning my throat.

"Well, Sir, she did seem dazed. He had her wrapped up in his coat and was having to take most of her weight. He said she'd had far too much to drink and taken a heavy fall. I noticed that she had quite a nasty cut on her head, and I offered to call him an ambulance. The gentleman declined and said he could get her to the hospital quicker. I helped put his wife into the passenger seat and then they left." He looked behind me and I felt someone approach. "I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't think...I mean I..."

"Edward." My mother's voice sounded in my ear and her hand gripped my shoulder. "We've called the police, they're on their way to the hotel, and your father is with the manager now. They're trying to see if they can get anything from the security footage."

"Where the fuck is Felix?" I spat. "For Christ's sake, he was with her, wasn't he? How the fucking hell did he get into the bathroom and out again without Felix noticing?"

I was losing it, quickly unravelling in sheer panic. I didn't know what to do and I almost set off on foot onto the street when I felt another hand on my arm.

"Edward. Let's go inside, okay? If she left in a car then you're not going to find her by running all over Manhattan. We've got the registration, we'll find her. Come on inside, yeah?" Emmett pulled me along, and I didn't fight him.

I made a move back to the toilets again, drawn back there, trying to find something that might tell me what he was doing. As I went to walk through the door Art stopped me.

"Edward, don't go back in there, it's just going to fuck with your head...seeing that again. The police are coming, they might be able to find something else and us traipsing back and forth won't help." He put his arm across me and blocked my path.

"What the fuck do I do, Art?" My eyes were burning and my heart was racing. I was terrified, more scared than I had ever been in my life and there was nothing I could think to do. I knew I should call Alice, Angela, and even her father, but what would I say? "Oh hey, guys, guess what? James has taken Bella from right under my fucking nose and judging by the blood in the bathroom, I think she's hurt. I'm standing around waiting around for the cops to show up so I can explain to them that because of me he's got to her."

Art shook his head despairingly. "Sorry, Edward. I don't fucking know what to say or do."

I was hit with a wave of nausea, the men's room was directly opposite the ladies, and I only just made it to one of the stalls before I was sick. I knelt over the toilet and squeezed my eyes shut tightly forcing the tears to run down my face. No one followed me and I appreciated the space, I was falling apart and I wasn't doing anyone, least of all Bella, any good like this. As I knelt there, I noticed my knees were damp. I glanced down and saw the white tiled floor covered in something thick and red.

_More blood_.

I stood tentatively and called out to Art as I glanced under the door and followed the pool. A few stalls down the door was closed. With my heart in my mouth and my stomach in knots, I pushed open the door. I couldn't bear to look but I had to see.

"Oh…what…oh...shit..."

Art saw the body of Felix slumped on the toilet before I did and as I focused on his crumpled body, I breathed a huge sigh of relief, because it wasn't Bella. The reason for the blood was apparent quickly enough, his throat had been so deeply cut, that his head was almost severed from his shoulders. I looked into his eyes, they were glassy and empty and I immediately felt a brief pang of guilt for the feeling of relief but I couldn't keep hold of it for long. I was too preoccupied with Bella to think about anyone else.

"Edward, are you okay? Mom sent me in here to ch...Jesus fucking Christ, is that…is that Felix?" Emmett looked on in horror. "Shit. What the hell? What the fuck is he going to do to...?" He backed out of the bathroom and I heard him shouting for my father.

"Come on, Edward. Let's go." Art tried to pull me back but something sticking out from Felix's front jacket pocket caught my attention. "What are you doing? You can't touch him, Edward. Stop it, oh, shit."

I ignored Art's protests and stepped closer, careful to not step in any blood or move the body at all. I reached over and pulled the note out and looked down at an envelope with my name on the front.

I didn't open it at first. I just held it, my hands shaking. I was too scared to read it, I knew who it was from and didn't want to hear what he had to say. He would be gloating, make no mistake about it, he would want to rub it in that he had got to her, he would mock me for ever letting her out of my sight. I scrunched up the envelope and felt something solid dig into my finger. There was something else inside the envelope, I could feel it through the paper and it didn't take a genius to work out what it was. I removed it carefully from the envelope and felt tears sting my eyes again. Bella's ring was staring back at me, the diamond sparkled in the lights from the ceiling and I squeezed my hand tightly around it, feeling the cut of the diamond pressing into the palm of my hand. I snatched at the letter and read it. If I was scared beforehand then there were no words to convey how I felt afterwards.

_Edward,_

_First of all I should commend you on your attempt to protect Isabella. After the incident in Los Angeles I quickly realised I would have to rethink my strategy. You took no chances with her and for almost three months I couldn't get close to her. The few times I did your very capable employees almost caught me. Please apologise to your brother and newly acquired sister-in-law, it is with regret that I had to tarnish their special day. However, I have spent seven years waiting for her and I have grown tired of her games. She is mine, mine alone, and you had no right to try and claim her with that ring. I understand how you are feeling, it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced being without Isabella, but you took something that never belonged to you and this is your punishment._

_I should warn you not to bother trying to find us. I have no intention of ever letting her go again and in one last act of generosity I thought I would give you back the ring, something you can keep hold of which belonged to her. Something to remember her by, because I swear on my life and hers, Edward Cullen, you will never see her again. I am taking her home and I am taking her home tonight._

I dropped the letter, watched as it fell to the floor and then I was overwrought with every single emotion that was running through my body. I felt my right arm rise up, and as if under its own command, it began to rain down punches on one of the toilet doors…again and again. The rage was oozing from my body, down my arm and out through my fist. Over and over I hit the door. To his credit, Art stood by and let me do it, not once trying to intervene, knowing that I had to vent this; I had to let it out. After at least twenty punches my fist went straight through the wood and tore a gash in my arm. The sight of my blood soothed the rage and then the searing pain from my battered fist pushed away what remained. It was a mess, there were cuts all over my knuckles, some of which, had pieces of wood protruding from my skin. I could feel the dull ache and noticed the immediate swelling; it was obvious that I had broken something. The cut on my arm was bleeding but it wasn't too bad, but then again, it could have been a severed artery in my wrist and I wouldn't have cared.

Nothing mattered, I'd lost her. His words were, "You will never see her again." and I believed him with every part of my body. He thought of Bella as _his_ and I had no idea where to even start looking for him.

"Are you done?" Art asked softly. "Come on, Edward, outside, yeah? The police are probably going to be here by now and that hand is a fucking mess. You need to get it cleaned up." He motioned for me to follow and I did.

As soon as we stepped outside I was faced with my mother who looked frightened to death. "Emmett said Felix was d...d...dead in there?"

I nodded. "It's James for sure, Mom. There's a note in the bathroom and he took this off her finger." I bit my lip and opened my good hand to reveal Bella's ring. "I've lost her, haven't I?"

My mother's face crumpled and she began to cry. Art wrapped his arm around her. No one answered. What could they say? Nothing. A big, fat, fucking nothing. We stood there in silence, I could see people hovering, obviously aware something was going on but no idea what it was. It was like being part of some lame television show, with hysterical family members running around screaming but not actually achieving anything. If only we could get the ending they did. If that was the case then any minute now the heroic boyfriend would have an epiphany as to where the kidnappers would have taken the love of his life and he would save her single-handedly.

"Excuse me."

I looked around and recognised the detectives who had dealt with Bella's complaint a few months ago. Detective Solbakken, and the junior of the two, Detective Fisher, from the Major Case Squad. I remember being quite impressed at Charlie's ability to pull in the big guns. They had been pretty damn good when we made the initial complaint, they did everything they could considering the piss poor laws in place to protect Bella. Now though, I was angry. Just like Sarah had warned, there was nothing the law could do until after he'd done something to her. Now look where we were. They glanced down at my bloodied fist and then back up to my face. As with all people who dealt with emergency situations, they tried to lace their voice with compassion but their faces were hard. The years of dealing with this kind of thing was preventing them from matching their tone with a sympathetic expression. I wasn't judging them, I was sure they had seen more than enough horror during their career that they had built up somewhat of a resistance to fucked up situations like this.

"Mr. Cullen, I assure you we will do everything we can to find Ms. Swan," Detective Solbakken spoke first. "Is the body of her minder in there?"

I nodded and moved away. "Yeah, the _dead_ person is in the bathroom and will still be _dead_ in twenty-four hours. Don't worry about my fucking _fiancée_ who is God knows where with the crazed fucking lunatic she asked you to protect her from. Does this class as 'threatening' behaviour now, huh? Snatching her, hurting her and then slitting some poor bastard's throat?" I looked at them in disgust and walked away.

My father was standing close to Seth and Garrett, watching me walk towards them—their faces fraught with worry. The night had completely turned on its head, going from a wonderful evening to an absolute nightmare in one short hour. I could still hear my mother's quiet sobs, Art remained at her side, just helping to calm her down.

"Come on, son, let me have a look at your hand?" My dad placed his hand on my shoulder and slowly pushed me down on to a chair. He raised my hand up and looked at it closely. "You've made a mess of this, Edward. You need to go to the hospital. You've got some deep lacerations and with the amount of swelling already, I wouldn't be surprised if you've broken your wrist as well as some fingers."

"I'm not going anywhere. I don't give a shit about my hand, Dad." I shook my head in disgust and raced over and over things in my mind. Where would he go? What would he do? It didn't matter what I asked, what I thought, I was too far gone to think constructively. "I have to go and look for her."

"Look where, Edward?" Dad stood as I did and looked at me sadly. "Where would you even start to look for her?"

"I'll scour the streets of Manhattan if I have to, but I can't just fucking sit here, Dad. I need to help her." I pleaded at him to understand and let me go.

"Edward, you're no good to her like this. Let the police do their job. We can go and talk to them and see what they've already got set in motion. He's never hurt her before Edward. _You_ told me that. What's to say he's going to do it this time?"

"He's never slit anyone's throat before, Dad. He's never kidnapped her before and he left a note saying I'd never see her again. He's lost it and I'm scared to fucking death." I sat back down and pulled at my hair desperately.

Dad sat beside me again but didn't say anything. Seth and Garrett were lingering close by and Emmett was consoling Rosalie who looked distraught. "Where's Caitlyn?" I asked. She was nowhere to be seen.

"She's gone with Seth's parents. I didn't want her to be down here when they brought Felix out of the bathroom," Dad answered quietly. "We've not told her too much, I don't think she should know just yet."

"Mr. Cullen." The detectives were back and they looked at me waiting for me to give them my attention. "I understand how you feel. We always hoped it would never come to this, but now that it has, we need to focus all our efforts on getting Ms. Swan back. We have his registration and a trace out on the vehicle. There has been a city wide alert issued, and the Port Authority Police are issuing bus and rail terminals, tollbooths, and airports under their jurisdiction with a photograph of Ms. Swan and the suspect." The senior detective knelt in front of me. "Your arm is bleeding heavily, Sir. Take yourself to the hospital, get it sorted out, and then come straight back. We will keep you informed of every update as soon as we receive them. Please, Sir, let us do our job."

"Edward, listen to him and go to the hospital. Emmett and I can come with you, and then as soon as you're done we'll go and look for her. We'll search all night, all of us, and I promise you, we _will_ find her," my dad begged.

I looked down at my hand and winced as I tried to close my fingers. It was bleeding heavier than I thought and fragments of the door were still embedded in my knuckles.

Everyone got involved and basically railroaded me into agreeing. "I'll give them twenty minutes to take care of it and then I'm gone." I stood up and said to Detective Solbakken, "Please, please find her."

My dad wrapped a small towel around my arm to stem the bleeding and then walked me to the doors. With the wedding of my brother and Rose, and the commotion from inside the hotel, the paparazzi were out in force and they descended upon us the second we left the security of the main door.

_"Edward, what's going on? Where are you going? Edward? Emmett? How was the wedding? Where's your wife? What happened to your hand?" _

We were being pushed and shoved as we fought our way to the car the hotel had provided. No one answered, no one even acknowledged their presence, and we just climbed into the car in silence.

"We'll take you to Presbyterian, I know the Chief in the ER, he'll make sure you get discretion," my dad mused and then told the driver where to take us.

I looked up at Emmett, he looked worried. Dad looked worried. Mom and Rose had looked broken, and Art, Seth, and Garrett looked resigned. I knew what they were thinking...we were too late...deep down I knew it too. I was beginning to feel the rage building up again as we arrived at the hospital. "I shouldn't be here, Dad. Who gives a fuck about my hand when he's out there doing God knows what to Bella? I should be out there looking for her."

"Edward, I have no idea what you're going through right now, but trust me, you need to keep yourself together. You can't find her like this. Let the doctor take care of your hand and then I promise we will look for her. Please, son, just let's get this done first, okay?" Dad patted my shoulder and walked ahead to find his contact in the ER.

"Come on, Edward, think positive. You'll find her. He wouldn't wait all this time just to...well, you know," Emmett tried to reassure me.

It didn't work, all I could think about was her. I couldn't stop thinking about what he was doing to her, in his letters he had always made a comment about removing every trace of me from her body. I knew what he meant, Bella knew what he meant and now he had her he could do it.

The main waiting room was busy, it was a Saturday night in New York, how could it be anything but? As we hovered around waiting to register, everyone stared. Obviously my brother and I were easily recognisable at the best of times, but throw in a couple of wedding outfits, a mangled and bloodied hand, and two tense and angst-ridden faces and it was pretty obvious something was amiss. Dad appeared and we were moved away from the main area and shown into a small room right beside the nursing station. We were ordinarily reluctant to accept any special treatment, but tonight I was appreciative of it. I couldn't be around others, not here. I couldn't deal with the stares, the whispers or anyone who may have approached us asking for autographs. No, tonight I needed to be Edward, Bella's Edward and I had no room for anyone else.

"Dr. Mellor's going to come and see you as soon as he can. I'll give your mother a ring, see what the news is." Dad stood and disregarded the sign who which asked you to refrain from using cell phones in the hospital.

I listened briefly, but it became obvious enough there was nothing worth listening to, no news, so I tuned him out. After a few minutes a nurse walked into the room. "Dr. Mellor shouldn't be too long, your father asked for a cold compress for now." She looked at my hand and rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you have beat the crap out of a pillow instead?" She smiled and pressed the compress down firmly. I winced and she smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Keep the pressure on it until you see the doctor." She nodded at Dad and turned to leave.

"Excuse me, Nurse. Could you see if Angela...um...I don't know her surname, but she works on the Intensive Care ward. Could you see if she's on duty. I do need to speak to her urgently." I asked, and the nurse nodded.

"I know Angela Weber. I'll go and check if she's working and due her break." She left the room without another word.

"Someone needs to tell Alice, but I can't do it, I wouldn't know where to start," I explained to no one in particular. She was her best friend and had been through everything with her. She would want to know.

So here I sat, waiting. Waiting for another nurse, waiting for a doctor, waiting for Angela, waiting for a phone call to tell me something…anything. I was just waiting for everything, and feeling so utterly helpless. I was fast becoming consumed by a dark cloud of despair, it was like a thick fog and it was choking me. I sat, then stood, and then paced the room. Sat, stood, and then paced again. Dad and Emmett sat quietly watching me, making sure I wasn't about to break out into another violent outburst.

I could hear the controllers on the radio announcing incoming emergencies. There had been four so far, an elderly man with a suspected stroke, a teenager who had gone overboard on the alcohol, and two men who had been involved in a bar fight. I listened to each call, the distraction was welcomed and it helped pass the seconds, which seemed to pass by slower and slower.

_"Control, this is dispatch."_

_"Go ahead, dispatch."_

_"You have incoming. A jumper from 59th St. Bridge."_

As soon as my father's phone rang I focused my attention on him and didn't listen to the end of the transmission. He answered it but then cursed, "God damn battery. Emmett, can you call your mom back for me?"

I drifted back to listen to the radio call again and realised it was already finished. A nurse was barking orders out and the room began bustling with activity. "Right, everyone ready? We have incoming, a man has apparently jumped from the 59th St. Bridge and taken his girlfriend with him. We've got one probable DOA but the other is critical. Foxtrot resuscitated at the scene, but patient has crashed again en-route. ETA two minutes."

Before the nurse's words had time to filter their way into my brain I heard my father swear quietly. I whipped my head up to look at him, his eyes were closed and his head hung down. "Jesus Christ, Esme…where? Okay, well we're already here. Jesus."

My heart lurched, that wasn't a, "we've found her and she's okay," phone call. That was something much, much worse. "Dad?" I stood and shook his arm roughly. "What?"

He opened his eyes and looked at me, despair was raging all over his face, and I wasn't sure I even wanted to listen anymore. "They found the car parked up on the 59th St. Bridge. Two patrol officers saw a woman matching Bella's description on the floor beside the vehicle, a man was with her and when he realised he had nowhere to go, he..." Dad trailed off.

"He…jumped…he took her with him." I covered my mouth and felt my knees buckle. I grabbed onto the wall to stay on my feet. "They're coming here, I just heard the call come in. Dad, someone's dead. I heard them say DOA. That means dead, right? That means someone fucking died."

Dad nodded infinitesimally, and I turned and ran out into the hall to the nursing station. Besides a clerk there was no one there. "There's an ambulance coming here with two people who fell from a bridge...the 59th St. bridge. I heard the call come in, and I need to know what's happening, please you have to tell me," I begged the clerk and she just looked at me in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I can't tell you that...I mean I couldn't if I wanted to, but I just don't know."

"Please, please help me. Please, you have to find out, my fiancée was one of them…please, I have to know. I'm begging you." I squeezed my good hand into a fist and pressed it hard against my forehead. The room was starting to spin, probably because I was almost hyperventilating.

"I really am sorry, Sir. I wish I could…please just wait in the office, and I'll send someone into see you as soon as possible." She motioned for me to return to the office but I just stood there.

"I'm Dr. Cullen, could you page Dr. Mellor for me? Tell him it's an emergency please," my father asked the clerk. She nodded and reached over to the phone.

I felt my legs begin to buckle and went to sit when I heard a few raised voices coming from my right and almost simultaneously, Emmett who was standing with me, said in a voice which sounded like he was being strangled, "Oh…Jesus." I followed his line of sight and had to clutch at the counter to remain on my feet.

Two doctors and nurses were running down the corridor alongside a trolley. One paramedic was pushing and the other was standing on the side administering CPR as they moved.

"Female, early to mid-twenties, severe head trauma, and suspected pneumothorax. She was submerged for approximately four minutes and initially resuscitated at the scene. Lost pulse and breath sounds en-route, unable to intubate and no output. She's hypothermic and we can't get her temp up."

"Okay, room one now." A nurse was pumping a bag over the girl's face...Bella's face.

"Bella?" I looked on in horror as she was wheeled past me and into another room.

I walked over rather unsteadily towards the swinging doors. I pushed one open and stood watching. I was vaguely aware  
>of Emmett shouting me and someone pulling on my arm but I shook it free forcefully.<p>

I could barely take in what I was presented with. It didn't seem real. The doctors and nurses were working on Bella furiously, one doctor, presumably the most senior was issuing orders to each person in the room. I knew nothing about emergency medicine, but I knew enough to understand just how bad it was.

_"Asystole."_

_"Right, I want 0.5 mg atropine push and get some warm fluids into her. We need a chest tube, get her intubated."_

After the briefest of pauses, the shouting resumed again.

_"De-fib."_

_"Charging, 200…clear…nothing…okay. Again…charging…clear."_

I saw Bella's body convulse with each shock, but I couldn't see her face. I cringed as the doctor administered another shock and once again Bella's body convulsed on the table.

_"Right, charging 260, clear."_

I felt two hands press on my chest and back me slowly from the room. "Excuse me, Sir, you can't be in here. Let them do their job. Please, Sir, they're doing everything they can." One of the paramedics moved into my line of sight and walked me gently out of the room. He instructed me to sit in a chair by the door.

"Is she going to die?" I braced myself for his answer.

"She's critical. I can't tell you anything else, but they will do everything they can." He remained at my side to prevent me from walking back into the room.

I closed my eyes. "That's my fiancée. She can't die. She can't die. She can't die."

Emmett crouched in front of me and squeezed my shoulder. I could hear more orders being barked from inside the room, but I could tell nothing from their tone. Bella was dying and I couldn't do a damn thing but sit here and wait.

The paramedic remained beside me, watching the events unfold.

"What about the bastard who did this?" Emmett growled. "I hope you left him in the fucking water."

"I can't tell you anything I'm afraid another team dealt with him. We were concentrating on your fiancée." As he spoke I heard the two detectives' voices at the nursing station, asking for information on Bella and James. The second paramedic had also emerged from the trauma room and he moved over to talk to them.

"How's the girl?" Detective Fisher asked.

Clearly, the second paramedic had no idea that I was within earshot, because if he had then he wouldn't have replied so bluntly, "Not good. She's crashed twice now and they can't get her heart into sinus rhythm. Honestly, if they can't get her back soon I think they'll call it."

In translation they were too late. In translation he _had_ killed her. In translation my Bella was dead.

At that moment my world collapsed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I'm not a doctor or medically trained if in any way...I've pulled the info from this chapter from the internet, so I do apologise profusely for my mistakes.**

**I'm also so very sorry to leave you with another cliffie and probably the worst one yet. I hate them, but I couldn't do anything else with this chapter...you'll understand when you read tomorrow's update.**

**Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading, reviewing, and hopefully not attacking me with weapons lol :D**

**Waves sheepishly before going back into hiding ;) **

**Katy**

**xxx**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36 - Fade To Black**

**BPOV**

The sun was streaming down. I could feel it warming my body all over, its heat radiating out from my face, down my arms and legs, and into my fingertips and toes. I had my eyes closed, and I felt content and peaceful. Edwards's fingertips ran delicately over my face, and I tried to open my eyes to look at him, but I couldn't. The sun was too bright, so I settled for just picturing his face in my mind; his eyes, his nose, and that wonderful crooked smile. Wherever we were I loved it, it was just the two of us what else did I need?

I smiled as I felt his lips press to mine, moving slowly across my jaw and then down my throat, my smiled turned into a scowl as I felt him pull away. I forced my eyes open and locked immediately onto Edward, smiling at him, but slowly, his face began to change. His wild, bronze, hair began to disappear and fade into a dirty blond colour, his dazzling green eyes began to turn into a shade of blue that sapped all the warmth I was feeling from the sun. I looked on in horror as Edwards face morphed into one that I never wanted to see again.

I was awoken from the dream-like experience and could feel my heart drumming in my chest, my hands were shaking and my breathing felt out of control. I felt disoriented, drowsy and my head was throbbing. I couldn't remember where I was, and I couldn't remember leaving the hotel with Edward, but we were on the move somewhere. In a car, I presumed and I tried to focus on the scene outside of the window. I could make out street lights whipping past the window and headlights of other cars approaching us from the opposite direction.

A wave of nausea washed over me and I tried to move my head, it was resting against the window and the vibrations were not helping the throbbing or the nausea. As soon as I moved an inch, the pain switched from a dull ache to absolute agony and I groaned and shut my eyes again, desperately trying to squeeze the pain away. I fought hard to remember why I was hurting this much, what I had done to myself this time and where was Edward taking me? But there was nothing. Still feeling the intense pain in my head I inhaled deeply through my nose and I was met with the smell of cigarettes and coffee. That smell triggered something inside my mind and I had a terrifying flashback.

_Toilets…darkness...James _

As soon as I realised I wasn't with Edward but with James I threw up violently, my head screaming as I moved forward. Immediately a fist connected with my cheek and my head hit the window, making the pain even worse than before.

"It's a new fucking car, Isabella," he growled and then I was struck again.

James was sitting beside me, driving me god knows where and I was alone with him. I felt my stomach spasm and before I could stop myself, I threw up again. He slammed on the brakes and brought us to a sudden stop. I couldn't have been wearing a seatbelt because I was lurched forward and my battered head took another hit on the dashboard. The pain was too much and I retched again, there was nothing left in my stomach now but it didn't stop him from roaring in anger. He released his seatbelt and climbed from the car. I was starting to feel my eyes growing heavy again and willed myself to sleep, anything to escape this nightmare, but the passenger door opened and he pulled me from the car by my hair, and threw me onto the floor. I curled up, and James stooped over me, pressing something cold and hard against my temple.

"Make a fucking sound and you're dead," he hissed and then turned his attention away from me and began to clean the vomit from the car.

I looked around, still dazed and confused but I had no idea where I was. I heard cars passing by but they were travelling too fast to hear me if I did attempt to scream. I started to gasp, my chest felt tight and tears were rolling uncontrollably down my face.

_No, Bella. Stop. This is not the time for a panic attack, you need to keep calm and think. You have to get yourself out of this somehow._

I had never seen him like this before. James had always been intense, creepy, and of course he made my life a nightmare but he had never directed any violence towards me, only to other people who angered him. I didn't know what had changed inside him, but I didn't want to hang around to wait and see what he had planned for me. I needed a plan. I could forget running, I didn't trust my legs to even support me if I stood. There was no one around to call out to for help, so I began feeling around on the ground for some kind of weapon.

The cold, hard, blacktop had nothing; no stones, bottles, crushed cans, or even a handful of the sandy grit that usually hugs the edges of the road.

_Shoes?_

Yes, shoes were good. I reached down with one of my hands, but I soon realised he'd taken no chances and my wrists were bound with plastic tie wrap. It was strange, but as soon as I saw the wraps, I felt the pain. They were tight, too fucking tight, and they were cutting into my skin. I didn't have much room to manoeuvre my hands individually so I attempted to move them both down to grab a shoe. I hadn't moved them more than an inch or two before I saw a foot come into view and press down firmly on my arm.

"Don't even think about it, Isabella." James bent over and wiped my face with a towel, almost tenderly. "You look terrible. If we had more time, I promise I would get a doctor to look at your head, but it doesn't matter now."

He held out a bottle of water and when I refused to drink, he grabbed my face between one finger and thumb and squeezed my mouth open. I couldn't fight back enough to stop him and he poured the water straight into my mouth, I coughed and spluttered and spat it back out and he laughed.

"Do you think I want to kiss you with that shit in your mouth?" he snapped, and moved closer and brought his lips to mine.

"Don't fucking touch me!" I screamed as loud as I could, and he punched me so hard in the jaw that the force made me bite down on to my lip. I winced at the pain and immediately I could feel the blood oozing into my mouth and down my chin. The warm, metallic taste made my stomach tighten again and I fought the bile back down.

"Get up." He didn't wait for me to move; he simply hauled me up by the elbow and shoved me into the car.

As soon as he was back in the driver's seat he turned the engine on and sped away, the tyres squealing against the road as he drove.

"W..w...what do you want?" I cried.

James laughed darkly. "What do I want? Are you fucking kidding me, Iz? What the hell do you think I want? I want what I have always wanted, I want what is mine. I want you, always you, only you." He glanced over at me. "I know you didn't believe my letter, your boyfriend didn't either. If he had then it wouldn't have taken me as long to get to you. But don't you see, Isabella, nothing and no one can keep us apart. Your boyfriend can get people to follow you, your father can send people to find me but it won't work. I win every time."

"You won't win this time," I whispered. "Those people who were sent to follow me and find you are always close by. They will have seen you, James, and the police will be here soon."

"Are you sure about that?" He stopped the car abruptly again and was to my door quickly. "Come and take a look at this." He pulled me from the car and walked me around to the trunk. As it lifted, the light illuminated a lifeless body curled up in the most unnatural position. It was Harry, my father's friend, employee, and my minder. I choked back a scream and my knees gave way. James caught me in his arms and whispered in my ear, "Right about now I expect your boyfriend is running around the hotel trying to find you. If he pays a visit to the men's room, he'll find the other man, Felix I think his name is. You should know better than anyone, Isabella, no one can stop me."

I went limp and let him drag me back to the car. He'd killed two people, killed them because of me, to get to me. "Edward?" I choked, what would happen to him?

"I've been with you all the time, Isabella. It wasn't even me on that flight back to England. I found some desperate, homeless bum who had a similar look to me. I paid him to clean himself up and pretend to be me. I've been there for everything. I saw you together on Christmas Eve at Rockefeller Centre, I saw you flashing your fucking engagement ring at his house in the Hamptons, and I saw him announce his love for you out on the street when he was drunk. You should have known I wouldn't miss a second of your life. I can see you think you love him, but don't you realise that deep down it's me who has your heart and soul? I planned to kill him first, make you watch and suffer as I have, but I had to choose between you and him and you are the reason I am here after all. I couldn't risk you running again; I couldn't spend another two years without you."

He sighed and gripped the wheel of the car tightly, I saw we were approaching the entrance to a bridge and thought for a brief moment I might be presented with an opportunity to escape this or at least draw attention to my situation, bridges had toll booths, toll booths had people, people who could help me. I looked eagerly in front and then my heart sank, there were no toll booths. We were crossing the 59th St. Bridge, a toll free bridge. There would be no help, no escape. It was a strange feeling, but the fear which had been crippling me started to fade and was replaced by fury…blind, uncontrollable fury.

"I hate you. I fucking hate you," I spat.

He looked over at me and shook his head. He punched the steering wheel over and over and then swerved across two lanes to the side of the bridge. He paid no attention to the protests by the other motorists and parked up close to the barriers. He turned to face me and moved as close as he could.

"You need to fucking respect me. I have done nothing but love you for seven fucking years. Isabella, I cherished the ground you walked on and killed for you. How can you be so cold?" I felt my seat begin to recline and the doors locked. He clambered over me and pressed me back into the seat. "I'll show you how to fucking respect me, you bitch."

As soon as he was pressed on top of me I could feel his erection against my leg, it turned my stomach and I struggled against him as he forced his knees between my legs and pried them open, but he was too strong, I was too weak. There was nothing I could do to stop him, not physically at least. He pulled my dress up, ripping it in the process and I felt him begin to open his pants. He pinned me down by my shoulders and moved in to kiss me, when I turned my face away he landed on my ear and then hissed. "You will respect me and you'll fucking enjoy it."

I couldn't let him do this. I had to fight back somehow, so I did it with words. "Do what you want to me, I _will_ probably enjoy it you're right, but only because I'll just close my eyes and pretend it's Edward." I kept my voice cold and determined. He looked up and his nostrils flared. "Although, I may have to imagine there's something with a bit more sustenance down there, I hate to tell you this but Edward is substantially better equipped than you." I immediately felt him soften between my legs and I braced myself for the anger he was about to unleash on me. I would take it, anything except having him inside me.

He began to hit me, my face, my stomach, chest and arms. But his movement was restricted in the car and it didn't have the desired effect. We were still being passed by cars on the bridge and he couldn't remove me from the car without being seen. Instead, he moved his hands to my throat and began to squeeze. It wasn't with enough force to kill me, it was just enough to torture me a little bit more and he smiled as he did it.

"I know what I have to do now, Isabella." He released his hold on my neck and ran his hands up to cup my face. "I have to send you back."

"Back where?" I croaked in confusion.

"Where you came from," he spoke softly and rested his head on mine. I recoiled at his action. That was something that Edward did, I felt a stab of pain as I thought about him. Was he okay, and would he be okay once James was done with me?

"Where? England?"

"No you silly girl. Hell." His eyes bore into me and the smile was still fixed on his face. He was evil, there was nothing wrong with him psychologically, he was just evil through and through.

"What? Get your hands off me." I ignored the pain from my head and struggled furiously against him, screaming as loud as I could, desperately trying to get someone's attention.

He continued to hold me down with his legs and held my head back against the headrest with his hand clamped firmly over my mouth. "Shut up and stop fighting this. I have to send you back, Isabella, you're a creation of the devil and he wants you to come home. Don't worry though, my love, I have a plan and we will go home together.

I was going to die...he was going to kill me. I closed my eyes and more tears escaped. I could beg him, plead with him, maybe even convince him I'd seen the light and did really love him. "James, please don't. I…I…love..."

"You love me? Let's see about that." He kissed me and let his tongue sweep across my lips. I tried to respond, tried to let him in but just the thought of his mouth on mine turned my muscles to stone and I cringed away from him. I couldn't even pretend to want him to save my own life. "I can see it in your eyes, Isabella, there's nothing you can hide from me. You still think you love _him_ and I'm done trying to convince you otherwise. But know this, I will never let him have you, I told you before, you belonged to me and if I can't have you, no one can. Don't worry about Edward Cullen, he'll find someone else quickly enough. He can have anyone he wants and he sure as hell won't waste time mourning you."

He didn't move for a while, he just lay above me, pinning me into the chair, staring into my eyes. I didn't struggle, I needed to let him pass as much time as possible, in the vain hope that someone might stop and see if we were okay, or even just report the car to the police. I thought of Edward, just him and it gave me a sense of relief. At least if James was planning on killing us both now, Edward would be safe, that was the one saving grace in this fucked up nightmare.

The problem was I wasn't ready to lose him. The thought of never seeing him again took me back to the few days we were apart and the pain ripped through me again, taking my breath away. I had been given a chance to live like a normal person with the most amazing man and I was beyond thankful for that. I didn't even care that it was because of our relationship that James had found me and I was in this situation. If everything was to end now it didn't matter. I wouldn't change anything, at least if he was going to kill us both I knew Edward, Alice, Angela, and everyone else who I loved would be free of him too.

Then I heard it, the most beautiful sound in the world to me at that moment. I could hear sirens and James heard it too. He looked up and I saw the reflection of the flashing blue lights on the roof of the car. The dark night emphasized them and I began to scream and struggle again. James swore and leapt across to the driver's side, he went to turn the ignition and then he swore louder and started hitting the steering wheel again. Another set of flashing lights were approaching from the other side of the bridge. He did nothing to stop me screaming or struggling, so I banged against the window and continued to scream. I stopped abruptly when he began to laugh.

"It's too late, Isabella, I won't let you leave me again." He pulled out the gun and rammed it under my chin. I could see sweat beading on his brow and his hand was trembling. He held it there for just a few seconds before he roared loudly, "I can't do it, I can't fucking kill you like that, you're too beautiful, I want you just as you are now but I won't let them take you, Isabella, I will have to do it another way." he looked around and then smiled. There was a shift in his demeanour and I could see he had relaxed again. "Let's take a walk."

He climbed over the seat and pushed me out of the door first, I fell to the floor and saw the police car parked up close by, two uniformed officers emerging slowly from inside with the lights still flashing silently on the top of the car. I tried to move towards them but I was quickly brought to my feet and James' arm wrapped around my neck. His other hand held the gun firmly against my temple. At the sight of the gun the two police men drew their weapons and took cover behind the doors of the vehicle.

"Stay where you fucking are and tell that other car to back off. I'll shoot her. I swear to God I'll shoot her right here." He began to back us towards the railing and at that moment I realised exactly what he was planning to do.

As he stopped with his back pressed firmly against the railings, one of the police officers lowered his weapon and stood with his hands raised. "Sir, please." He slowly moved closer and held his hand up to stop the other car which was idling close by. "You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt your girl, do you?"

"My girl? Try telling her that." James laughed and kept the gun pressed against me. The officer went to speak again but James cut him off sharply. "Shut your fucking mouth and get back."

I felt him slowly climb over the railing, somehow, keeping me pressed tightly against him. He was pulling on me, and I soon felt the cold of the metal against my back. If he jumped now I couldn't do anything, his grip was so tight around me he'd pull me over the railing with him.

I tried to struggle but it was useless. "Please help me," I begged the officer and he stepped forward again.

I saw through the wind shield of the other car, an officer talking on his radio. James never moved a muscle, never spoke to me or to the police. He was murmuring, singing and I recognised it at once.

"_It's been so lonely without you here, like a bird without a song._

_ Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling._

_ Tell me baby, where did I go wrong."_

"Please, don't do this." My hands were still bound in front of me, I couldn't move them to get a grip on the barrier to at least try and prevent the fall. He didn't acknowledge me. He just continued to quietly sing his song to no one in particular.

I could hear the sounds of helicopter blades, whipping through the air and they grew louder and louder. James heard them too, and he stopped singing instantly.

"I told you to keep people away. Did you think I wouldn't do it? Did you think I wouldn't follow through? She's mine and I won't let her live without me." He leaned down and kissed my ear. "Don't be afraid, it will all be over quickly I promise. Just remember I love you and we will be together soon."

I saw the officer's face fall in horror at the same time as James' grip tightened on me. He fell backwards and I could feel him pulling the top of my body with him. The officer lunged forward to grab me but it was too late, my legs rose up and over the barrier and I began to fall. I did feel a snatch on my ankle but my forward motion was too great and it did nothing to stop me, the only thing it did do was slow me enough to rip me from James' hold. It was a strange experience and time seemed to stand still as I fell. It was utterly terrifying and I knew I needed to at least try and hit the water feet first. I tried to bring them down but with my hands fixed firmly in front of me it was difficult, I was still fighting when I heard the sound of something impacting the water below. Just a second later I felt my feet strike the surface and shooting, agonising pains shot upwards through my legs, the water enveloped me and the freezing temperature felt like I was being stabbed all over my body. By some god given miracle I was still conscious, but maybe that was worse, because now I was going to drown. I couldn't swim to the surface, I tried to kick my legs, but the battering my body had taken debilitated me and I couldn't even work out which direction the surface was. I struggled and struggled but I began to feel the darkness closing in, nothing I did made any difference. I wasn't getting out of this, James had always said he wouldn't let me live without him and he had finally achieved it. My lungs were screaming and my body took an involuntary breath in desperation, the icy water burned my throat, flooded my chest and sank me lower beneath the surface. I didn't want to die, not like this but I had no more fight left and as the darkness engulfed me I clung onto the thought of just one thing.

Edward.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Because I hate leaving you wonderful people hanging, I am going to _try_ and get the next chapter posted tonight…it may be a few hours before I get chance but I promise I will try!**

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. **

**Only four more chapters after this…**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37 - Waiting For Something…Waiting For Nothing.**

**EPOV**

**Sunday**

I could still hear the doctors fighting to save her, but I had no hope that they could. Emmett and my father remained with me, anxiously waiting to hear something, and not wanting to know at the same time. After hearing the paramedic tell the detectives that she was likely going to die I had shut down, I couldn't even begin to deal with that, not here and certainly not now.

My father had approached the detectives and asked them for news on the bastard who'd put her here, and asked for more details on what happened up on the bridge. They were reluctant to discuss it at first but my father had a way of convincing people, of persuading them and they relented.

"We received several calls from motorists on the 59th St. Bridge regarding a car which had stopped midway across. The license reported matched that of the car seen leaving the Plaza and we responded immediately. When the first officers arrived at the scene, Ms. Swan was noticed to be out of the vehicle and on the floor, however, before they were able to reach her, the suspect we believe to be Mr. Hunter, took her at gunpoint. The officers tried to talk him out of the situation but they failed and he jumped from the bridge pulling Ms. Swan with him." Detective Solbakken looked at us, trying to gauge our reaction before continuing. "The NYPD had already dispatched their air-sea rescue unit and divers followed the victims into the water. As you know, Ms. Swan was brought here and Mr. Hunter was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital."

It should have registered, and it should have been a relief that he was dead but I felt nothing. It didn't matter to me if he was dead or alive. Not yet, not while Bella was hovering on the brink. Yes, if she did survive then it meant she could finally put everything behind her, but that was a big if. The paramedics didn't hold out much hope and the way she looked when she came in scared the living hell out of me.

"Edward. The ER put a call out for me, and told me you were downstairs. What's going on, where's Bella?" Angela was jogging towards me, she looked around and saw the expressions on our faces. "What's happened?"

I couldn't answer her, I couldn't speak, so my father stepped forward and tried to explain. "Bella was taken from the hotel by James. The police found them on 59th St. Bridge and he…" He took a breath before looking at me. "He jumped and Bella fell too. The doctors are treating her in the trauma room now."

Angela looked at us in horror. "Oh my God, is she okay?" No one said anything and she put her hands to her mouth.

"Can you call Alice? I think she'd want to be here," Emmett asked softly, and she nodded. She marched to the nursing station and picked up the phone.

I put my head back into my hands, and my palms were quickly wet with tears. It was unbearable, sitting here waiting for news, good or bad.

Angela's call to Alice was brief and just a minute or so later she walked back over. "I've called her, and she's on her way. What have the doctors said?"

"Nothing yet, they've been in there with Bella. The paramedics didn't sound hopeful though," Emmett whispered. "She was in a bad way when they brought her in."

"Okay, I'll be right back." She strode into the room and disappeared.

She wasn't right back, and after another five minutes of waiting I was going crazy. No one came, no one told us anything. Five minutes…ten minutes…fifteen…twenty. Alice had arrived before Angela re-appeared, and she sobbed as Emmett explained in more detail what had happened . When she tried to make a run for the doors, Emmett grabbed her and held her as she cried. I felt my dad's arm tighten around my shoulders which were shaking as I tried to cry silently.

Art and my mother were next to arrive. "Carlisle, Emmett, how's Bella?" she asked frantically.

"The doctors are in with her now, Mom, but the paramedics told the police her heart stopped and they can't get it going again. That was ages ago…we don't know anything else." As soon as Emmett stopped talking, I heard Alice sob again.

"Edward, honey, come here." My mother took over from my dad and hugged me tightly.

No one spoke for a while, the only sounds I could here were Alice's desperate cries in Emmett's arms.

I stopped paying attention to time; it was irrelevant. Even Alice fell silent after a while and a strange, eerie, quiet fell upon the room. I had no idea how much time had passed when I heard the footsteps approaching the doors. I felt each one reverberate through my body as they neared; it was almost as though I was standing against a loudspeaker set to maximum volume and bass. The swinging doors opened and I saw Angela emerge, closely followed by a man I presumed to be Bella's doctor. His white coat had the unmistakable stains of blood and it cut through me knowing it was Bella's.

"Dr. Mellor," my dad acknowledged.

"Edward." Angela moved close to me but I refused to look at her. "Edward."

I shook my head. "I don't want to know, Angela. I don't want to hear that she's dead, please don't tell me she's dead." I kept my head down and closed my eyes, if I saw her face I would know in a heartbeat if she was gone.

"She's not dead, Edward," Angela whispered and squeezed my shoulder. "She's alive…just."

"She's alive?" I looked up, dissecting her face to check she wasn't lying.

She nodded and said, "Yes. Dr. Mellor needs to explain a few things to you, okay?"

I looked to the ageing doctor as he began to explain, "Isabella is alive, but she is in a critical condition. Initially the paramedics resuscitated her at the scene, but she was in full cardiac arrest when she arrived here. It was approximately four minutes before we managed to restart her heart. She has suffered head trauma and a linear fracture to her skull, although none of the injuries appear to be consistent with the fall from the bridge. I expect they occurred earlier…they are more likely to be the result of blunt force trauma." He stopped and knelt in front of me. "Because of these head injuries there is swelling to her brain and we have to keep her heavily sedated until that swelling recedes."

"Have you consulted Dr. Zabir?" Dad asked and Dr. Mellor nodded.

"Yes, he'll take over her care when we move her to the high dependency unit."

"But she's okay?" I asked, and the doctor shook his head slightly.

"In addition to the head injuries she sustained, I am concerned about the amount of time she was submerged in the water after her fall. She had a very low core temperature when she was brought in and that impeded our ability to revive her, on the other hand, in extremely cold environments the body begins to close down and conserve heat for the vital organs, and that may have helped minimize the effects of any oxygen deprivation she suffered while in the water. Unfortunately, we won't know what long term damage there will be until we stop administering the phenobarbital, and we can't do that until the swelling on her brain begins to recede." Dr. Mellor stopped talking and looked to my father. "We'll be moving her shortly."

"Thank you, William." My dad nodded in appreciation. "Thank you."

I tried to swallow, but my throat was thick and dry. "Can I see her?" I croaked and the doctor nodded kindly.

"Of course, but just for a few minutes. " He opened the door and beckoned me inside. "Her appearance may startle you, but all of the machines are necessary."

I stood and walked unsteadily through the door. My father and Angela walked with me, Angela's arm tightly holding onto mine. I hesitated as I neared the bed, it didn't seem real. Bella was hooked up to machine after machine and an assortment of wires were connected to various parts of her body. Her face was beyond battered, and bruises were beginning to appear underneath her eye and across her jaw. There was a tube sticking out from her mouth and below it I could see a gash on her bottom lip, which was double its usual size. I also noted there were faint bruises on her neck…_finger_ shaped bruises. I clenched my fists and my body tensed as I took in how badly he had hurt her.

I placed my hand gently on hers, carefully avoiding the wires and cannula. Her fingers were still cold…icy cold and I tried to rub them as softly as I could, uselessly trying to warm her up. Her hair was matted with blood and there had been a dressing placed over a laceration on the side of her head. With the machines beeping and the sound of the ventilator, she looked robotic. Everything seemed so lifeless and mechanical and I couldn't see how she was ever going to be back to her usual self.

"They need to move her now, Edward," Angela whispered after only a minute or so, and I nodded once.

"I won't be far," I whispered to Bella as I bent over, and with the lightest of touches I kissed the tip of her nose. That too, was icy cold and I could feel it on my lips for several seconds after I stepped back. I didn't turn my back on her as I left the room, I walked backwards never taking my eyes from her face, not wanting to miss even a second knowing there was a chance my time left with her was running out.

"I'm going straight up to the ward now to stay with her, she won't be alone for long, Edward," Angela assured me. "They'll need some time to handover her charts and brief the doctor who'll take over her care. Once they have her settled you can come and sit with her. Maybe you should get that looked at first, they won't want you in the room with an open wound. With the ventilator, and central lines, she's at greater risk of picking up infections. Come up to the ward and I'll get someone to clean it up for you, okay?"

"Sure, whatever's best for her. Angela?" I looked at her and said, "Tell me straight up. Is she going to be okay? No bull shit or medical jargon, just the truth, please?"

Angela looked down at the floor and bit her lip. "I don't know, Edward. When she was first brought in Dr. Mellor didn't think she'd make it this far. She's still got a long way to go, and I hope to God she's still got some fight left in her, but truthfully, Edward, I really don't know." She walked across to Alice and wrapped her arm around her tightly.

"Emmett, you should get back to Rose, she was beside herself when I left. She's with Caitlyn in our suite." My mother moved to my side. "We'll stay here with you, Edward. Someone needs to call her father too."

"I'll call him," Alice volunteered. "I need to speak to Jazz, too, but I'll come straight back."

"I'll stay with Alice until she comes back inside and then I'll head home. Call me as soon as you know anything though, yeah?" Art waited for us to agree and then followed after Alice, with Emmett alongside him.

"Right, Edward, come with me." Angela gestured towards an elevator. "I'll get you an X-ray booked and then you can make an appointment to have a cast if you need it."

"He needs it," my dad warned and then offered to clean it himself. "Keep your staff on the ward, Angela, I'll just need a few bits and pieces and somewhere quiet to work. I'll take him for the X-ray myself."

Angela nodded in agreement and as soon as we reached the ward she pointed to a tiny room which had a single bed in. I assumed it was probably where the doctors took their breaks during shifts. I sat on the bed and dad pulled in a stool from outside.

Another nurse appeared just a minute or so later with a trolley full of various medical shit which I had little patience for. "Seriously, Dad, just do what you have to and do it quick."

"Edward, you heard Angela. If you don't get this cleaned up and dressed correctly you could risk exposing Bella to infection and she might not have the strength to fight something like that. Shut up and let me work, the more you protest the longer this is going to take." My father's bedside manner left a lot to be desired, but it worked, and I stopped complaining.

To give him credit where it was due, he had the whole thing cleaned and taped up within fifteen minutes before I was then ushered along to a different part of the hospital. I had a fast pass to the front of the queue and a radiologist took several x-rays of my hand and arm. He confirmed what my dad had suspected, I had broken a bone in my wrist and several hairline fractures to the bones in my hand. I was given an appointment for the following morning to have it put into cast. I had been told to get it done straight away but I point blank refused. I made Dad strap it up and insisted I was going to sit with Bella. Sensing he was fighting a losing battle Dad reluctantly agreed and promised the doctor we would be back in a few hours.

Angela was standing talking to several nurses and two doctors when we returned to ICU. She looked over and waved me over. "Edward, this is Dr. Zabir, he's taking over from Dr. Mellor."

"Can I go in and see her?" I looked through the window to a room but the blinds had been drawn.

"Yes of course, please go ahead. I'll be with you shortly to explain a few things about her condition." Dr. Zabir opened the door and waited for us to enter.

The room was just a standard hospital room. Beside the bed were two chairs stacked on top of one another and there was a large green recliner in the corner of the room. I saw a door which I presumed led to a bathroom and a small cupboard for any of Bella's personal effects. My father picked up a chair and set it down beside the bed.

"Sit down, Edward," he instructed.

I pulled it as close to the bed as I could before I sat. "Can I hold her hand? I don't want to hurt her."

"Just mind the IV sites." Dad nodded, and I gingerly raised her hand and held it in mine.

I noticed she had warmed considerably since I'd last touched her and that comforted me slightly, and gave me a brief glimmer of hope that she was improving. In reality I suppose she was exactly the same. The rhythmic beeping of the machines and the Darth Vader sounds of the ventilator were awful to listen to but while they were doing their thing Bella was alive. Keeping her left hand in mine, I reached up and ran my fingers down her cheek and across her jaw and lip.

Bella was so sensitive to anything like that, she would smile or squirm every time I touched her, but there was nothing. No change in her breathing, her heart rate remained the same and there was no movement whatsoever on her face.

I moved my hand back to hold hers just as I heard a knock at the door. Dr. Zabir came into the room and I looked briefly at him before turning back to look at Bella.

"May I speak with you regarding, Isabella?" he asked politely and I nodded without removing my eyes from Bella.

He walked around the bed and stood opposite me. "As Dr. Mellor explained in the ER, we are currently administering a powerful sedative to keep Isabella sedated until the swelling  
>to her brain begins to ease. The ventilator you can hear is breathing for her while she is sedated but we will expect her to breathe unaided when the phenobarbital is no longer being administered."<p>

"How long?" I never looked at him as I spoke, I knew it was rude but I just couldn't look away from her.

"We are monitoring her closely. We don't like to maintain this level of sedation for too long, the drugs we use are not suitable for long term use, but we will make the relevant decisions in reaction to her condition." He spoke clearly and was obviously trying his best to avoid medical terminology and explain to us in a way we could understand. "She has no apparent brain injuries and besides the fracture to her skull and several broken ribs, she has somehow escaped with only superficial cuts and scrapes. Although, after the fall I would expect some tendon or ligament damage to her knees and ankles. As a matter of caution, we have those supported and expect no further complications to arise. Our only additional concern at the moment, would be the long-term effects of the oxygen deprivation, but again that is something we cannot ascertain until after she is brought out of sedation."

"Are you saying she could be brain-damaged? A vegetable?" I shook my head and closed my eyes. It seemed like something was coming at her in every direction. Head injuries, hypothermia, cardiac arrest, and now brain damage.

"I'm simply warning you of the possible outcome. We will continue to monitor her closely, but if you have any more queries please do not hesitate to ask me, if I'm not on the ward then just ask the nurse to page me." He made a few notations on Bella's chart and then left the room.

"Brain damage?" I looked at my father angrily, and more tears rolled down my face.

"Edward, he had to warn you. Try and stay positive and don't give up on her." He picked up her chart and began to read through it. "She's come this far, son. By rights, she should never have survived."

"Can I have a few minutes with her? Alone?" I asked. "Would you mind telling everyone what's going on, Dad?"

"Of course not." He nodded and held the door open for my mom.

"We'll wait outside, sweetheart, alright?" My mom hugged me from behind and then left the room with Dad.

I let my eyes wander around the room. The clock hanging on the wall said it was almost six in the morning. I had been awake for twenty four hours and I was exhausted, yet on the wire at the same time. I sat in total silence for a while, praying, willing, and pleading with every God and every religion I could think of, begging them to help her pull through. I lay my head down on the bed beside Bella's hip. I kept her hand in mine and fought to keep my eyes open. It wasn't a battle I succeeded in winning and I fell asleep.

My father woke me a little after eight, he was escorting me to get my hand put into cast. My mother and Alice were in the room and after I had kissed Bella and stood, Alice took my place at her side.

"What was said while I was asleep?" I asked. I doubted anything had changed but it was an instinctive question to ask in this situation. I didn't want to leave her not even for a minute.

"No change and there won't be while she's sedated, Edward, now come one, let's get your hand sorted out." My dad shot me a look and I followed him with one last glance in Bella's direction.

I never moved an inch as the cast was put on my wrist, but it hurt like hell. When I was with Bella I was too pre-occupied with her to notice it. But now, with someone manipulating my arm into the optimum position for healing it was screaming. After the cast was in place I nodded along politely as the nurse issued me with instructions on taking care of it. I was too anxious to be back with Bella to listen to anything she said.

The second she told me she was done I raced back to the ICU and back to Bella's room. Art had joined Alice and my mother and was perched uncomfortably on the recliner.

"Hey, buddy. How are you holding up?" He offered me a piece of gum but I shook my head.

"I'm a fucking mess, Art. I can't stand this…" I began to say, and my voice shook.

"Charlie's on his way. He took the jet from Seattle as soon as he heard." Alice stood up and let me sit close to Bella. "Look at her, he hit her didn't he? Those bruises and marks aren't from the fall."

"I think so." I sighed, I had another question that had been lingering inside my head waiting to get out. I didn't know why I was asking because I wouldn't be able to handle the truth. "Did anyone mention if… did they say that he..."

"We can ask Dr. Zabir. But try not to think about that, Edward. It will only eat away at you and you might never find out the answer. It would be so much better if she doesn't remember any of this," Dad mused quietly.

Throughout the rest of the morning, people drifted in and out. My mother and father, Emmett, Angela, Art, Seth, and Garrett. Rosalie was staying with Caitlyn, they were both upset and Mom didn't want my sister to see Bella like this. Only Alice and I remained a permanent fixture in the room. We didn't speak much, there wasn't anything to say and I was relieved I didn't feel the need to fill the empty silences.

The peaceful environment was disturbed as soon as Charlie arrived. I heard his booming voice out on the corridor before I saw him. A flustered nurse showed him to the room and he looked on in horror at Bella. I could see he was struggling to maintain his cool and composed exterior, his eyes were burning and his knees were slightly unsteady. When his eyes fell on me sat at her side he exploded.

"Are you happy now?" He gesticulated towards me, his nostrils were flared and his eyes had shifted from burning with pain to burning with rage. "How dare you sit there with my daughter when you're the reason she's in here. I told you to stay away from her, but the arrogant and conceited ass that you are thought you knew best. Now look at her, look at what you did to her."

I couldn't argue with him, his words crushed me but there was truth in them, Charlie just happened to be the only guy who would say it out loud.. "Let's not do this here. The only thing that matters now is Bella." I drifted back to look at Bella but apparently Charlie wasn't done.

"Don't you te..." He began to roar.

"For god's sake, shut up. Jesus fucking Christ, Charlie, have you heard yourself?" Alice was to her feet and in Charlie's face like a bullet. "Let's remember exactly who is at fault here. The bastard who has tortured her for seven years, and no one else. James Hunter did this to her."

When he finally calmed down, Alice explained what Dr. Zabir had said. Charlie seemed unimpressed with the doctor's attitude of "wait and see" and strode off outside. The last we heard of his voice was the deep booming tone as he shouted at some poor unsuspecting soul.

"God he can be such a fuckwit," Alice muttered.

I was running on empty by eleven that night. I had eaten nothing, drank nothing besides one or two terrible cups of coffee. I needed to shower and change but I refused to leave her side. Jasper had taken Alice for a break, Charlie had left to call Amelia, and just my mom and I remained with Bella. Angela was working a night shift and breezed into her room as soon as her shift had started.

She was holding a docking station in her hands. After it had been connected to the mains she fiddled around and a quiet hum of music filled the air.

"Right, Ms. Swan, I think we need to liven the mood in here. What do you think? I thought we should go for some classics and I know you adore The Beatles?" She was so at ease as she spoke, I watched her in awe then start to check her blood pressure, oxygen levels, and temperature. As soon as she'd finished her official work she ran a bowl of water and sat it down beside Bella's bed.

"Right, now don't go getting your panties in a twist, I can't wash your hair, but I will try and clean you up as much as I can, okay, chick?" Angela began carefully wiping down her face and hair. She never once pressed on heavier than the stroke of a feather.

"Dr. Zabir has pencilled her in for a brain scan in the morning. They will want to bring her off the pheno' as soon as they can," Angela murmured as she tended to her friend.

I was starting to flag again, my eyes were rolling in their sockets and I felt shaky from the lack of both food and sleep. My mother noticed and she looked at me disapprovingly.

"Edward, please get some sleep. Even if you don't want to go home, lay your head down on the recliner. I won't let anyone, not Dr. Zabir or anyone else say anything without waking you up first, okay?"

I agreed, because I was just too exhausted to try and argue. I moved the chair back as far as it would go and let my head sink into the padding at the top. Watching Angela interact so effortlessly with Bella relaxed me and I was out like a light.

**Monday**

I slept until five in the morning. I awoke to my brother's voice filtering through the air. Either I had been slipped some powerful hallucinogenic or one of our albums was playing on the IPod.

"Feel better for that?" Angela grinned at me and I nodded. "You mother left you some bits and pieces, she said she'd be back with some clothes a little later." She gestured towards a bag by the chair and I had a look inside. It was full of fruit. I devoured a banana, quickly followed by another.

"When will she be having her scan?"

"Eight. But don't get your hopes up, Edward. All they are looking for now is that the swelling hasn't worsened. No change will be a good thing," Angela warned me.

I acknowledged her with a weak nod and then took up my position at Bella's side again. I was still in the wedding tuxedo and I hadn't showered or shaved, but I wasn't leaving the hospital until I knew Bella was okay.

When my mother arrived she had a bag of fresh clothes, toiletries, and more food. Angela told me to take a sneaky shower in Bella's bathroom while she was having her scan so I did. Feeling much better thanks to the steaming hot water I was dried and dressed well before Bella returned.

"Dr. Zabir is just discussing the scan with a colleague. He'll come and talk about it with you in a few minutes." Angela checked over Bella's observations as soon as she was back and we found ourselves waiting again.

"Angela, do you know if he did anything to her," I whispered and looked at her nervously. It had been eating away at me. Now, for what reason I didn't know but I needed to know what she'd been through.

Angela hesitated. "They did a pelvic examination when she was first brought here. They saw bruising on her thighs and there were signs that she'd had sex recently but there was no tearing or internal bruising to suggest he raped her. The activity could just have been from anything you guys did before the wedding. Try not to think about it, Edward, I know it's awful but it won't help if you focus on that. He's dead and can't hurt her anymore and she will get through this."

Dr. Zabir knocked on the door and came in clutching two files. He turned on the light board in the room and put two images up for us to see. "So, the one on the right was taken as soon as she was stabilised in the ER. The one on the left is from today."

To me they looked the same but Dr. Zabir was smiling. "The swelling has actually begun to recede. That is much better progress than we would have anticipated at this stage. No change would have been good but to see an improvement is very promising. We will keep her sedated for another twelve hours and then reassess. If this level of improvement appears to be constant then we will start reducing the Phenobarbital steadily and see how she responds." He smiled, obviously very pleased with the outcome.

"Thank you." I held out my hand and shook it firmly. "So much."

"Angela, surely you have a home to go to?" He laughed.

"I just wanted to see what the result of the scan was. She used to be my room-mate, Iman, you met her at a Christmas party last year." Angela smiled. "Don't you remember her?"

"No I don't, but I did have a little too much to drink." Dr. Zabir shook his head quickly and left the room.

"Ha, he remembers." Angela giggled.

"Remembers what?" I asked, sensing where this was headed.

"Are you going to get jealous and start shooting him dirty looks when he comes back in?" Angela raised her eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes. "He took a bit of a shine to her and asked her out. He tried line after line and even sang to her through the DJ's microphone. He made a bit of a fool of himself."

"What did she say?" I forced a smile.

"No, of course. She always said no. Well until she met you, that is. One night and you completely swept her off her feet." Angela sat on the edge of the bed.

"It didn't feel like that. She was such hard work, I know why now of course. But back then I honestly thought she wasn't interested." I reflected, thinking back to those first few nights in Art's.

This time last year we hadn't even met, yet now I couldn't imagine my life without her.

**Tuesday**

The next scan had pleased the doctors even more than the last and they were preparing a schedule for the nurses to reduce the level of sedative that Bella was to receive. I was on edge, desperate for her to wake up. I needed to hear her voice and see her smile. This was going to be a slow process, they needed to see how her brain reacted to increased blood flow. Only when they could be sure she wouldn't relapse would they stop it altogether.

At first there was nothing. Bella was still unconscious and still non responsive. Apparently, this was normal, they wouldn't expect her to move or react until the dosage was much lower. She didn't relapse, her body reacted well and the doctors remained optimistic and began to move things along slightly faster

I felt as though we were finally getting somewhere and Tuesday night I was given a small miracle. I had fallen asleep, my hand in Bella's. I was dreaming, nothing scary or complicated. It was just Bella and I walking together, I couldn't picture where, just that we were ambling along without a care in the world. Her hair was down and blowing in the wind, she was smiling and there were no cuts or bruises anywhere. I released her hand and brought mine to her face. I didn't kiss her, I just wanted to see her. I felt her hand tighten on mine and I frowned. I was holding her face, Bella's hands weren't holding mine.

I opened my eyes with a start and looked at my hand. I could see Bella's knuckles tinged white as she squeezed mine. I looked at her face but her eyes were still closed.

"Mr. Swan." I called out to Bella's father who was asleep in the chair but he woke as soon as I shouted. "Mr. Swan—look."

I gestured to my hand and he saw what Bella was doing. He ran to the door and called out for a nurse and a doctor.

Before they came into the room Bella's grip loosened and my heart sank. I explained to Dr. Zabir what had happened and he smiled.

"It's good. Bella is starting to gain control of her motor functions again and spasms like that are common and perfectly normal. Her legs may twitch, as could her lips and eyelids. I wouldn't expect her to wake just yet, but everyone reacts differently. Any changes just call out, but this is good." He leaned over and shone a penlight in Bella's eyes. "Her pupils are reactive and her obs look perfect."

I refused to sleep after that, if she opened her eyes, even for a split second, I was not going to miss it.

**Wednesday**

Bella had proven to be the most popular patient on the ICU. There was an endless stream of people drifting in and out to visit her. Those who knew her sent well wishes and love, those who didn't sent her flowers. Angela had the flowers sent to different wards for others to appreciate.

After the hand squeeze there hadn't been much else besides one brief eye flutter. The doctors had said it was now a waiting game and Bella would wake up as soon as her body was ready to. She was no longer receiving any sedatives and there was no reason we shouldn't see some improvement. As each minute passed I grew more and more nervous, worrying if this lack of response meant brain damage. Angela and my father constantly tried to reassure me but their efforts fell on deaf ears.

Wednesday passed by as slowly as the rest of the days had done and still there was nothing from Bella. As midnight approached there had been only Charlie and I in the room. I was there constantly of course and Alice and Charlie tended to switch shifts. I was sitting nodding along to the music from Angela's I-pod. Today's play list included some old classics such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. My hand was clutching Bella's and I felt a slight twitch in her fingers. I looked up to her face and I could see her eyes fluttering again.

"Look," I whispered and Charlie was up and at her side in an instant. He pulled the alarm for the nurses and we willed her to open her eyes.

Dr. Zabir and Angela came into the room straight away and I stood to let them close to Bella's side. Her eyes were still fluttering lazily but they didn't remain open for long.

"Bella, Hun? Can you hear me?" Angela spoke softly and squeezed her hand. At the sound of her voice Bella's eyes opened and she looked straight at her. "Yeah, of course you can. Hey, girl, it's about time you woke up."

For a few seconds she seemed calm but then her eyes began flickering around and the heart-rate monitor began to increase in speed.

"She's distressed, if we can't keep her calm she may have to be put back on a lower dose of sedative." Dr. Zabir hovered at the end of the bed looking a little concerned.

"Bella, calm down Hun. I know you're scared but everything is fine, I promise," Angela tried to comfort her but even I could see it was having no effect.

She hadn't seen me yet, I was stood by her head and was out of her line of sight but I didn't want to move Angela out of the way when she was trying to help.

"Isabella, I am Dr. Zabir and you have been in the Presbyterian Hospital for almost four days. It is normal to feel anxious but I need you to try and keep calm." Dr. Zabir's words seemed to have no impact and he began to instruct Angela to administer a sedative.

I didn't want her to take another step backwards so I whispered in her ear. "Please, Bella, try and calm down, I'm here and I promise I won't leave your side."

As I spoke I moved around so I could look right at her and she calmed immediately. Her eyes stopped darting around and her heart rate slowed. I noticed that a smile tugged on the corners of her lips, her mouth was still full of the breathing tube but I knew she was trying. I couldn't put into words the relief that I felt.

"Well isn't that charming?" Angela scoffed. "I've been pulling doubles all over the place looking after you and the minute you wake up you've only got eyes for your boyfriend."

Seemingly satisfied with Bella, Dr. Zabir told Angela to hold the sedative and stepped closer to talk to her. "Isabella, you have a tube down your throat which has been breathing for you. I can disconnect it now, would you like me to do that?" He waited for her answer which was an immediate nod followed by a wince.

"Okay." He turned to Angela and asked her to assist. "When I count to three I want you to breathe out for as long and as hard as you can. I will withdraw the tube but it may feel strange and uncomfortable."

He disconnected the mouthpiece from the machine and counted to three.

When he did Bella tried to do as asked but barely managed a feeble gasp. She gagged as the tube was removed and Dr. Zabir smiled. "All done. We will have to watch your Oxygen levels closely and your throat will be a little sore, the tube tends to irritate the tissue so try not to speak. Can you nod if you understand me?"

Bella nodded and then winced again. Dr. Zabir noticed straight away. "2mg morphine, Angela. Bella, is it your head that is causing you pain?" She barely nodded in acknowledgement. "You have a fractured skull and other bruising to your head, you should feel the effect of the pain relief soon."

Just a few seconds later her eyes began to droop and I panicked. Dr. Zabir noticed and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "She will only manage short spells here and there. Her body is recovering and it will take her some time."

"And the brain damage?" Charlie spoke for the first time.

"We will need to subject her to a few routine tests when she is up to it, but the signs are promising. She understood basic instructions and clearly recognised both Angela and her boyfriend. I would like to hope she will make a full recovery." He gave Angela a few more instructions and left.

"See, Edward, she's perfect." Angela floated around the room and sang along to the music. "I'm going to call Alice, she'll be delighted."

"Thank God." Charlie looked at me and I nodded.

So far so good.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for reading :D That is the end of the cliffies! I apologise for any errors, I'm literally falling asleep doing this, but didn't want to leave you hanging after the last chapter! **

**Also, I meant to add this in the last a/n about the fall from the bridge. I did read and read and read up and there are people who have fallen from that bridge and survived. I also found out that when cliff divers jump from heights such as the bridge, they throw a stone or small rock into the water first to break the surface tension. I just wanted to clear it up :D**

**More tomorrow…unless I'm still sleeping lol**

**Bye for now,**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 Awake**

**EPOV**

**Friday**

It had been twenty-four hours since Bella had first opened her eyes. She had done it twice more since then and managed to croak out a few words for the doctor. Her voice was raspy and dry and it had obviously hurt her to speak, nonetheless she tried and it made all of those involved ecstatic. Still, she could only manage to stay awake for ten minutes or so each time, after that her eyes drooped and she fell back to sleep.

It was late Friday night or even Saturday morning and I was the only one still here. Alice had gone home with Angela after her shift had finished, and Charlie had decided to spend the night in the hotel for the first time since he arrived in New York. The relief everyone felt was indescribable and from the second she had opened her eyes the mood in the room had shifted completely. The sombre expressions and forced conversation had been replaced with smiling and enthusiastic discussions about anything and everything. I hadn't slept for much longer than the odd few hours here and there but I wasn't prepared to miss a second of the time that she was awake.

It was almost three am and my eyes were growing heavy. I was running out of ways to fend sleep off when I heard a slight shift in Bella's breathing. I glanced up at her face and her eyes were open. She smiled at me and I felt her fingers squeeze on mine.

"Hey, you're awake." I grinned, smiling so widely it hurt my cheeks.

"What days is it?" she whispered hoarsely.

"It's Saturday morning. You've had quite a sleep. Do you need anything?" I shuffled my chair up as close to her head as I could. "I can call a doctor or nurse?"

"Can I have a drink?" she asked.

I stood up and gave her a drink from the bottle I had been using. She licked her lips and sighed as she finished. "That feels better, thank you."

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, nose, and then lips. "How do you feel?"

I saw her frown. "My head hurts like a bitch." She paused and then took a deep breath. "What happened, Edward? I can't remember…it's still really fuzzy."

I hesitated as she looked at me to answer her. I'd hoped she wouldn't remember, and I didn't want to put her through it again unnecessarily. I tried to tactfully avoid the question. "What do you remember?"

"After the bathroom…not much really." She looked down at her hands and closed her eyes. "What happened to…I mean is he…um…is he…?"

I completed her sentence for her quickly, "He's dead, Bella. He'll never hurt you again."

She nodded and asked, "He jumped didn't he? That's how he…that's what happened to me? I remember the water, it was so cold. I don't remember what happened after that or how I got out of the water. Did I swim?"

"Someone came in after you and pulled you out. Then an ambulance brought you straight here." I squeezed her hand, experiencing a flashback to the moment they wheeled her down the corridor…the moment I honestly thought I'd lost her.

"Edward, he said he'd killed Felix and Harry, was he lying?" I saw her eyes fill with tears and I held her face in my hands.

"Once you're back on your feet we can talk about it, but right now try to not to think about it. I need you need to concentrate on getting better so I can take you home, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded. "Can I have another drink?"

I didn't know if I should give her anything, but no one had told me not to so I let her take another sip. Unfortunately it seemed to have awakened her stomach and she asked for something to eat.

"I don't think I should give you anything, Bella. I'll ask a nurse first, okay?" I went to stand but she pulled on my arm.

"Please don't go…please?" She looked frightened to death. "I just don't want to be alone…I know it's stupid, but-"

"I'm not going anywhere, love. I'll be right here as long as you need me, okay?" I kissed her hand several times, and she seemed to calm down. "Do you still want something to eat? I have chocolate, fruit-"

"Chocolate!" she said quickly, and her stomach rumbled loudly.

I chuckled to myself as I rummaged in the bag at my feet. Then something else occurred to me. "I'll do you a trade, Bella. You can have one square of chocolate, but I have to give you something back first." I took the ring out of my pocket and held it up so she could see it.

"My ring." Her fingers traced around the stone. "I thought I'd lost it or he'd thrown it away."

"Can I put it back on?" I saw her smile and slipped it back on her finger. It was a little looser than before, but given what she'd been through it wasn't a surprise she'd lost some weight.

"Thank you, Edward." She flexed her fingers back and forth and then tightened them around mine. "Um, we had a deal?"

I laughed once and waved the chocolate in front of her. "Only one square, right?"

She nodded eagerly and I put a square into her mouth. Just as I did the door opened and a nurse stood in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. She was quite heavily built and had a very stern expression on her face. "Please stop giving her that. When the doctor wants her on solid food we will need to monitor her intake carefully. We certainly don't condone chocolate or any other sweet products."

"Um…sorry," I mumbled and put the chocolate away giving Bella a sharp look.

"I'll be leaving the door open," the nurse added as she walked away.

"Well, she looks like she _condones_ chocolate to me," Bella muttered. "She didn't look like the type of woman to eat her vegetables."

"She certainly didn't." I laughed. I could see that the old Bella was still in there despite everything she had been through. "As soon as they say you can eat, I promise you can have the rest, love, okay?"

She nodded reluctantly and then groaned.

"What is it?" I went to pull the emergency cord but she stopped me.

"I'm just starting to feel tired again. It's frustrating, Edward. I don't want to go back to sleep, I want to stay awake with you."

"I told you I'm not leaving, Bella. If you need to, let your body sleep." I felt my own body screaming at me to do the same and yawned.

"Edward, you're just as tired as me. You should follow your own advice and go get your head down for a few hours." I began to protest but her hand covered my mouth quickly. "I didn't want you to leave, just go and sit in that recliner…if you don't mind?"

"I promise I'll grab an hour as soon as you're back to sleep."

She nodded and drifted off straight away. I kissed her head and then moved to sit in the chair and was out like a light.

**BPOV**

Black, fuzzy, grainy, patchy, and then all of a sudden crystal clear. That was how the memories began to come back to me. Being honest, having seen just a few glimpses here and there I would have been more than happy to forget the lot, but that wasn't the case.

My head hurt like hell regardless of how I was positioned. It hurt if I stayed still or if I moved and every single muscle in my body ached like I had been doing a thousand lunges with weights strapped to my legs. But, I was hurting and I was scared and that meant I was alive.

James' face began to present itself in my mind so I opened my eyes quickly. I wasn't ready to face him just yet. Initially I thought the room was empty, it was deathly quiet except for the relentless beeping of the machines surrounding my bed. I could hear a few unfamiliar voices out in the hall and saw silhouettes of people walking past the window. I felt panicked at the idea of being alone and I contemplated pressing the buzzer just to draw in some company, but then I saw Edward and I relaxed instantaneously.

He looked so peaceful, his arms were wrapped around his chest and his long legs stretched out with his feet hanging over the edge of the chair. Faint, adorable, snores rumbled in his chest and I sat and watched him for several minutes.

The clock on the back wall of the room said it was almost eight and I could hear the rattling of plates out in the corridor, which I presumed to be breakfast. Sure enough, just a few seconds later the door opened, and a nurse appeared in my room.

"Good morning, sweetheart." She smiled and brought a tray over to the bed. "How are you feeling? You certainly look much better today."

"I feel alright. Just a little sticky and grubby. Can I take a shower?" I asked quietly.

"Dr. Zabir is going to want to check you over first. If everything looks good then they'll probably want you out of bed for a few minutes anyway, so we can shower you down then." She pushed the tray towards me. "Try to eat a little and drink what you can but don't overdo it. Although I don't think we need to worry about your appetite. Your boyfriend's in a bit of trouble for feeding you chocolate, I hear."

"Yeah, sorry about that." I smiled sheepishly. I looked over at the tray and quickly wished I hadn't. There was a bowl containing a gruel-like mush, a yogurt, and a jug of water.

"I'll be back soon to see what you managed to eat. I'll leave this close by, just in case. A lot of people need time to adjust to eating solid food." She thrust a bedpan beside me and closed the door behind her.

Grumbling to myself about the breakfast, I struggled to sit up in bed. I tried to move without pulling at the wires, which felt more like chains tying me to the bed. Then I heard someone clearing their throat.

"Going somewhere?" I looked over and saw Edward was awake, looking at me like a naughty little school girl.

_Ooh, yeah, we've been a bad, bad girl, Edward. Would you like to punish us?_

I was a little surprised to hear Inner-Bella. I had wondered if several forceful blows to the head may have left her without the power of speech. Evidently not.

_Nope, you can't get rid of me that easily._

"I was just trying to sit up to eat this mush, which I've been told is my breakfast," I protested and he chuckled.

He stood, stretched, and then pulled out a remote. "This might be a little easier." He pressed the up button and the head of the bed began to rise slowly, tilting forwards as it moved.

"Yeah, much easier." I grinned and held out my hand to his. "Good sleep?"

"The most I've had in a while. How long have you been awake?" He kissed my forehead and it sent shivers down my spine. Even after all that had happened, the effect he had on me hadn't changed in the slightest.

"Not long, ten minutes perhaps. Your snoring woke me up. I thought we were in the middle of an earthquake" I winked and pushed the gruel around in my bowl. "This looks disgusting."

"It's oatmeal, Bella. It's good," Edward enthused, eyeing up my breakfast hungrily.

"I'll trade you some more chocolate for that bowl?" I looked at him eagerly.

"But the nurse said not to, Bella."

"Please, Edward. I didn't throw it back up yesterday and it can be our secret." I tried to do the puss in boots eyes that he managed so well and to my surprise it worked straight away. Edward sighed and returned to his bag to get me the chocolate.

We ate and drank up and I savoured every mouthful of mine while Edward appeared to inhale every morsel in the bowl. His clothes were crumpled and his hair was sticking out in every direction possible. Evidently, in addition to not sleeping, shaving, or showering for God knows how long, it seemed he hadn't eaten much either.

"Have you been home at all?" I ran my hand over his stubble and he closed his eyes.

"No and I won't do until I bring you home with me." He put his hand over mine and brought it to his lips. "I was so fucking scared, Bella. I can't quite believe you're here…awake and talking."

"I thought I wasn't going to get the chance to see you again," I said quietly, and Edward nodded in response.

We didn't speak for a little while, he continued to kiss my hand and Inner-Bella began to highlight the dangers of withdrawals.

_Edward is like heroin to you, and if you ask a heroin addict, they will tell you if you go too long without it you'll get cold sweats, shivers and hallucinations. The only solution to this is to undertake straddling as quickly as possible._

I laughed once and Edward looked at me in confusion. "Inner-Bella is back." I smirked and he raised his eyes, waiting for me to elaborate. "She is eager to re-connect with you."

"The feeling is mutual, but I don't think we could get away with much in this place." He pushed the empty tray away from the bed and sat on the edge.

I reached up to scratch my head and as my fingers met my hair, I moaned in disgust. "Ugh, my hair feels greasy enough to fry an egg on."

"Angela gave it a little wash earlier in the week, but that was mainly to get the blood out," Edward spoke quietly and his jaw tensed. "You had a pretty big cut on the side of your head that they had to stitch."

"That's not where it hurts though. Is the fracture on the other side?" I ran my fingers over my scalp gingerly. I remembered how much it hurt when my head hit the side of the counter and tried to fight away the images that were trying to claw their way back out of my mind.

Edward didn't answer straight away; he nodded and then closed his eyes. "Bella, I'm so sorry he got to you. I didn't think for a minute he would ever try something like that in the hotel."

"Edward, please stop. The only thing I cared about was you. To know you weren't hurt makes everything else that much easier to deal with. I just wish Felix and Harry hadn't been involved…they're dead because of me." I bit on my lip and winced. Another memory surfaced and I shuddered away from it. He turned to face me and I noticed for the first time the cast on his hand.

"What did you do?" I gasped.

"I had a one sided argument with a bathroom door." He tried to smile. "I was a mess when you first disappeared and kinda lost it in the bathroom at the hotel. Dad made me come to the hospital, and I was still waiting in the ER when they brought you in." He paled as he spoke and for a minute I honestly thought he was going to be sick.

"I don't remember that," I whispered and squeezed the visible fingers from beneath his cast.

A knock at the door disturbed our conversation and my dad poked his head around, smiling nervously. "Can I come in?"

I smiled back and nodded. "Sure."

"Wow, Bella, you look so much better. How's the pain?" He strode over and rested his hand on my shoulder.

I felt Edward begin to move so I pressed down as firmly as I could on his thigh to keep him on the bed. "My head's sore, but not too bad. I've just eaten breakfast and the nurse said I might be able to have a shower later."

I glanced at Edward and he was looking down at the cast on his hand. He had such a tortured expression on his face and it pained me to see it.

"Have they showed you how to self-administer yet?" Dad indicated to the control on one of the many IV's I had attached to my hand.

I shook my head. "Not yet. But to be honest I would rather go without it. I hate the fuzzy feeling it leaves behind."

Dad rolled his eyes. "That's kind of the point, sweetheart."

Despite my attempt to keep him seated, Edward stood up. "I'm going to ring Mom and let her know how you are. Everyone has been dying to see you awake, so you'd better prepare yourself for visitors." He tried to smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" He bent over and kissed my forehead and then left.

"Dad. What happened when I was first brought into the hospital?" My eyes lingered on the door and I heard my father sigh sadly. I turned to face him and he shook his head.

"Bella, it doesn't matter about that." He tried to evade the question but I was insistent.

"Please, Dad. I really need to know. Edward looks…I don't know how to describe it, but he looks haunted whenever I bring it up. What happened?"

"Bella, you were in really bad shape." He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "From what Angela told me, the doctors had a tough job with you. You weren't breathing and your heart had stopped. Edward, Emmett, and Dr. Cullen were waiting in the ER when they brought you in." He choked out the last few words and tried to finish the sentence there.

_It was that bad?_

"And the rest, Dad? What else?" I pressed.

"Bella, they were doing CPR on you as they wheeled you down the hall and then they had to use the defibrillators and God knows what else to get you back. One of the paramedics didn't think you'd pull through. We've all been so scared, honey. The doctors started talking about swelling to your brain and the possibility of irreparable damage. For a few days we weren't even sure you'd wake up."

I closed my eyes and felt more tears run down my cheeks. "Edward saw that?"

"Yes but it doesn't matter, not now, Bella. You're okay and that's all that anyone cares about." My dad reached over and in a very rare display of affection he wiped my tears away softly. "I love you, Bells. I'm just sorry I wasn't there to help you."

"I love you, too, Dad," I told him. "I'm sorry about Harry. J…J…he showed me…he was in the trunk of his car. Did the police find him?"

"Yes we found him. Try not to think too much about that." He moved his arms around me and hugged me. It was a little awkward but that was Dad all over. It felt really nice that he was at least trying to show some emotion.

Edward appeared just a few minutes later and sat back on the bed. I squeezed his hand tightly and he just about managed a smile.

My dad left a little before ten, promising to be back later in the afternoon.

"How's your mum?" I asked Edward after a nurse had completed another round of observations.

"Excited, she's on her way over with Emmett and Rose. I told her..."

I interrupted him mid-flow. "I am so sorry, Edward."

"Sorry?" He looked at me and frowned. "For what?"

"Dad told me what you saw when I was brought in. I'm sorry you had to see that. I didn't know I was that bad…I can't remember," I started to cry and his face fell. He moved closer and with the slightest of touches he rested his head on mine.

"You don't apologize for a damn thing, Bella. You're alive and you're still you. I don't give a shit about anything else." His voice shook as he spoke and it made me cry even more.

"Sssh. Bella, don't cry love." He put his arms around me and let me get it out.

I think the hysterical sobbing was actually the release of all the fear, relief and guilt that I was feeling. It took a few minutes, but slowly I began to regain composure and he wiped my face with a paper towel.

"It's going to take some time to get over this, Bella. But I want you to promise that you'll talk to me about it. Don't keep anything inside at all. Promise?" He waited for me to answer and I nodded.

He kissed my lips so softly, I could barely feel it. Not content with that, I pulled his face to mine and pressed harder against them. My bottom lip throbbed but I didn't care. I could sense how hesitant Edward was, still scared of hurting me, so I pulled away reluctantly.

Good job really, because Esme, Carlisle, Rose, and Emmett appeared in the doorway all with huge smiles on their faces.

"Looking good, Bella." Emmett winked and the others nodded enthusiastically.

"Thanks, Emmett." I smiled tentatively and then looked straight to Rose. "Rose, I'm so sorry for ruining your wedding night. I feel ter..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella. Emmett and I had a fantastic wedding and now that we know you're going to be just fine; we can remember the good things about it." Rosalie half laughed and half sobbed once and then literally ripped Edward up from the bed and gave me a big cuddle. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Everyone seemed to share Rosalie's sentiment and I felt a little self-conscious about the five pairs of eyes fixed solely on me.

Five pairs of eyes soon became seven when a man and woman stepped inside the room and looked at me expectantly.

"Ms. Swan?" It took me a few minutes to recognize the man who spoke first.

It was Detective Solbakken, the officer who had investigated my complaint about James a few months earlier. "May we speak with you for a few minutes about Saturday night?"

I couldn't answer because Edward launched an infuriated attack on the detectives. "No you may not. She's not even been awake for forty-eight hours and you want to start quizzing her about what she went through. Have you checked with her doctor? I can't believe your nerve. You couldn't do a God damn thing for her and now that she almost died you expect her to help you with your inquiries? It's all fucking bullshit."

"Edward, calm down, son." Carlisle tried to pacify the situation but even I could see Edward was livid.

"It will only take a few minutes, and we have cleared it with Dr. Zabir." Detective Fisher took over from her partner. "Ms. Swan, we are trying to resolve the homicides of two men we believe were killed by James Hunter. If we can piece together what happened that night then we can get some closure for the victims' families."

"That's a cheap fucking shot, detective. Don't you think Bella deserves closure? She had to live with that bastard for seven years; I think she deserves a break." I could feel the tension tumbling from Edward and as he sat beside me on the bed I could see how tightly wound he was.

"It's okay, Edward. I'd rather get this over with now. Just wait outside for a few minutes if you want?" I rubbed my hand on his back, ignoring the tenderness as the wires tugged at my hand.

"No, Bella, I'm staying." He refused to move and the detectives acknowledged this was acceptable.

"Carlisle, you should stay and keep an eye on Edward. Rose, Emmett, and I will wait outside. Is that okay, Bella?" Esme asked quietly.

"Sure," I whispered and tried to keep my breathing steady. I felt sick to my stomach just letting myself picture brief moments from that night. Even considering talking about them out loud filled me with almost as much fear as I'd felt that night.

"Okay, Ms. Swan. Whenever you're ready." Detective Fisher sat down and pulled out her note book. Detective Solbakken moved closer to the bed, apparently he would be asking the questions.

"What happened at the hotel? Just before you were taken?"

I hesitated and then took one last calming breath before I told them as much as I could remember. No one interrupted as I spoke. I could feel Edward growing more and more rigid beside me; his hand was gripping mine so tightly it hurt. The detectives' expressions remained impassive and even Carlisle's face was unfathomable.

I left out the unnecessary evils, some of the things James had done or said that would in no way make one bit of difference to anyone. I couldn't bear to put Edward through anymore and I wasn't going to mention what James had tried to do in the car. But of course, Detective Dick for Every Detail Solbakken had brought it up. He asked me about my torn dress and the bruising to my inner-thighs.

"He did try, but he never actually did it," I answered and refused to discuss it further.

When I was asked about the last few minutes before James jumped from the bridge I could no longer remain calm. A flash in my mind of that moment as I began to fall from the bridge was too much to deal with. My heart raced, I started to hyperventilate, and I couldn't manage to say a single word.

Carlisle intervened immediately, "That's enough." He paid no attention to the detectives as he helped me to calm down.

The detectives were almost out of the door when they stopped. "Ms. Swan, we do have one more thing to ask you. Mr. Hunter had you listed as next of kin. We haven't been able to formally identify him as yet and wondered if you..."

Edward exploded and leaped to his feet. "Not a fucking chance. Get the hell out of here right now. How dare you have the audacity to ask her to identify that bastard after what she's been through? I don't care if he gets shipped off to some cemetery upstate as a John Does. He deserves nothing more from her and he's not getting anything from her."

I shook my head once, in complete agreement with Edward, and the detectives left without another word.

Hearing the commotion Dr. Zabir gave the detectives a look of disgust and entered the room. "Isabella, do you feel up to a few more questions?"

I groaned but agreed, "Fantastic."

"I know you've been awake for quite a while now and are probably feeling tired, so it will just be a few easy ones, okay?"

He asked me about Presidents, colors and dates. I had attempted to answer back smartly on a few occasions, but he didn't appreciate my attempt at humor so I stuck to answering accurately.

When he was done quizzing me, I asked if I could take a shower.

He contemplated this for a minute. "Yes, I suppose a shower should be fine. You will need assistance getting out of bed; it will take some time to get your footing again. But there is a stool you can sit on while the nurses shower you."

I gaped at him in horror. "Excuse me? _They _can shower _me_?"

He nodded without looking up from his chart.

"Absolutely not," I retorted. "I am not having anyone else washing me, thank you very much."

"Isabella, you are still recovering from your injuries. You need to take care and let your body recover slowly." He sighed and peered down at me above his glasses which were perched on the edge of his nose.

"Can't they just wait outside? Seriously, I am not letting anyone wash me. I would rather smell like a tramp." I snorted and looked away stubbornly.

Dr. Zabir looked to Edward. "Is she always like this?"

Edward laughed and the sound made my heart skip. It was so relaxed and happy. "Yeah, she's definitely getting back to her old self. Does it have to be a nurse? Could I help her? Or perhaps Angela?"

"That should be fine. But under no circumstances is she to be left alone," Dr. Zabir instructed.

"_She_ is still in the room," I muttered. "When can I go home?"

"We will start looking at your progress on Monday. If you continue to recover well, then we should be able to release you by the end of next week." He looked at me like this was actually good news but I was horrified.

"Another week? I'll go barking mad stuck in here," I grumbled.

"Well, you will be moving to another ward in the next day or so." He winked at me. "Thank goodness. You really are a terrible patient and you've only been conscious for a day. A nurse will be in to disconnect you from the monitors. We will leave in one cannula in case we need to administer pain medication."

Sure enough, as Dr. Zabir left Angela waltzed into the room. "Hey, girl, how are you today? You look great. Alice is coming in soon. She can't wait to see you awake and talking. So I hear you've been asking for a shower?"

"Yeah, but they won't let me take one alone. I won't let some stranger wash me, Angela." I looked away as she began to remove some of the needles from my hand.

"Look, I can help you, Bella, and Edward too, but you can't shower on your own. If you fell and banged your head you could really hurt yourself." She smiled. "I'll wait outside the door while Edward does the majority if you like?"

_Yeah, shower = naked = distracting Mr. Delicious = straddling._

"Okay," I replied.

Showering turned out to be a very difficult experience. I was extremely self-conscious at first but then as soon as Edward began to wash me, it set alight every single nerve in my body and I had to fight the urges to try and rip his clothes off. In fact had Angela not been right outside the door checking in on us every thirty seconds, I may have actually succeeded.

He did let his lips press softly against my neck, shoulders, and back as he helped me dry off, but apart from that he remained frustratingly professional.

Angela carefully combed through my hair, and then they both helped me dress. I put on a sweater which belonged to Edward and a pair of shorts, because I refused to wear the awful hospital gowns that were provided.

The shower and change of clothes made me feel a hundred percent better and I even managed to stay awake long enough to see Alice, Art, and a very excited Caitlyn.

After the visitors left, I was exhausted and had fallen asleep straight away, but James was starting to take over my mind. Everything that happened that night began to replay over and over and I couldn't seem to shake it from my thoughts. Even though I was feeling like my body was on the road to recovery, the painful truth was that it was going to take the rest of me far longer to move on from this.

But I had Edward, and I was sure with him at my side I'd deal with everything the world had to throw at me.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and I'll say again all mistakes are mine!**

**I cannot thank you guys enough for staying with me through the nasty chapters and for all your amazing reviews. **

**More tomorrow, and then the last chapter on Sunday…can't quite believe we're at the end already. Time has flown by!**

**Have a great weekend everybody.**

**Katy**

**xxx**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39 - Home**

**EPOV**

Bella wasn't released from hospital until two weeks after the accident. Even then it had been against the advice of the doctors in charge of her care, but Bella was adamant. The triggering factor for her had been the nightmares she began to have every single night, and whenever she fell asleep.

After she had first woken up, she had been on strong pain relief and mild sedatives to help her sleep, so we never got to see what was really going on inside her head. However, Bella being Bella, had refused the pain medication as soon as she could, and insisted she didn't need anything at all. I knew her reason was nothing more than stubbornness, her attempt to convince Dr. Zabir that she was well enough to come home.

Just the memory of that first night without the aid of anything to help her sleep chilled me through to my core. She was fast asleep and I was just beginning to doze off beside her when I felt her hand flinch and she gripped my fingers tightly. I could feel the pressure building but her face remained expressionless. After a few minutes her body relaxed slightly and I closed my eyes again, stroking the back of her neck with my fingers. From nowhere Bella began to scream hysterically and she thrashed about on the bed, I grabbed her shoulders and tried to wake her but to no avail. The screaming drew the attention of several nurses who came hurtling into the room.

"I...I think she's dreaming but I can't wake her up," I said frantically, and continued to shout her name over and over.

One nurse called in a doctor who administered a quick shot of something into her leg and Bella quickly calmed, her body stopped moving and the screams tapered off into whimpers and then silence.

"It is to be expected," the older nurse reassured me. "After what she's been through, it's going to take some getting over. I hope you've got plenty of time, son."

I looked fiercely at her. "As much as she needs."

"Then she's a lucky girl." She smiled and then left the room.

I couldn't sleep again after that. I was anxiously waiting for the sedative or whatever the hell it was to wear off, bracing myself for another heart-wrenching scream and having to watch her experience that again. I remained focused on her all night, willing her to sleep peacefully, but the second she opened her eyes I could see that despite the sedative, she hadn't. Bella's eyes were dark, the circles underneath them more pronounced than I'd ever seen them, and her face looked haunted, tortured, and absolutely terrified.

"Bella, are you okay?" I stroked my hand down her face and she bit her lip nervously.

"No," she choked. "It was awful, Edward, I…I…was dreaming about…" I could feel her hands shaking as she tried to talk.

I sat in silence, letting her take all the time she needed to explain. She had to talk about this, keeping it locked away inside would eat away at her and make putting all of this behind her that much longer.

"I knew I was dreaming," she whispered, her breathing started to hitch as she continued. "But I couldn't wake up. I saw everything that happened and it was almost as if I was living it again, but I couldn't fucking stop it."

She started to gasp and I recognised she was about to have a panic attack. I knew I should call doctor or the nurses, but after what she had just confessed I wasn't about to subject her to another eight hours of living her nightmare again.

"Bella, love, please try and calm down. If the nurses see you like this, they'll want to sedate you again. You were dreaming earlier and they gave you something to sedate you. That might have been the reason you couldn't wake up." I kissed her lips as forcefully as I dare and it seemed to work. I was distracting her and quickly enough her breathing began to steady.

Neither of us slept much that night, we lay in bed beside each other. We talked about almost every subject I could think of except one. I knew she wasn't ready to face those demons yet, but I made sure she knew that whenever she was ready, I would be there every step of the way.

The day finally arrived to bring her home and it felt wonderful to know we had reached this milestone. For a few terrifying hours I had honestly expected to lose her, so to be here now was exhilarating. I hadn't been home since the night before Emmett and Rosalie's wedding and I was a sight for sore eyes. I did shower regularly in Bella's bathroom, but I hadn't shaved in two weeks so my face was now completely covered in a reddish tinged beard. Combine that with the overgrown mop of hair on my head and I was barely recognisable. It was a constant topic of conversation amongst my family and they begged me to go home and have a shave. I had refused, insisting that I wasn't leaving the room until Bella was coming home.

Well today was that day, and I had been railroaded into agreeing that I would go home a few hours before Bella was ready to leave. I agreed to go and clean myself up and then return to the hospital to accompany her home. I also knew that Charlie was desperate for some time alone with his daughter, he had stayed in New York for her entire stay on the ward and I knew that they needed to make peace with each other before he had to leave for Seattle.

Alice and Angela were hovering nearby, waiting to help Bella dress for home. I left reluctantly, setting myself a two hour limit before I wanted to be back at her side. I didn't want to wait for a cab to battle its way through traffic, so I ran home, my shabby beard and crumpled appearance earned me several looks of disgust from several passers-by. I laughed darkly, if only they knew who they were turning their noses up at.

As soon as I arrived at the building I was greeted by a very anxious looking Malcolm. He and Bella had grown particularly close and the concern on his face was touching.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen. How is Miss. Bella? You have been away for so long I worried she may have taken a turn for the worse."

I knew my mother and brother had been keeping him informed, they had picked up clothes and various other things for me during my two week absence. "She's getting there, Malcolm. In fact, I'm bringing her home this afternoon. I just need to get rid of this." I ran my hand over my face and he laughed.

"Please tell Miss. Bella I'm looking forward to seeing her; my mornings just haven't been the same without our little talks." He held open the door for me.

"Will do, Malcolm." I jogged over to the elevator and sank back against the wall as it moved up to my floor.

As soon as the doors opened I was stuck to the spot. Just seeing the apartment felt alien, in fact when I actually took a minute to think about it—the entire city felt the same, I had been stuck inside my own bubble for so long that I found it hard to accept that life outside the hospital walls had continued.

My parents, brother, and friends had all been constantly asking me to come home, just for a few hours and take a break from my vigil at Bella's side. Now I was here in the apartment…alone, I was relieved I hadn't listened. Being here without her made me feel so empty and I now knew she was going to make a full recovery. Had I come home amidst the uncertainty, it would have ripped me to pieces. I walked with heavy feet through the apartment; it felt so cold and empty. Her presence here was so profound that it overwhelmed me.

I did my best at shaving, however, I was right handed and as my right hand was still in the cast I had to attempt to shave with my left. I was left with several cuts and nicks on my cheeks and neck but I at least looked more human and less yeti. I dove in an out of the shower as quickly as I could and then dressed.

I was ready to head back to her side within an hour of arriving home. I grabbed the few items for Bella that she had asked for, and then immediately set back off for the hospital. On the return journey, no one mistook me for a homeless guy, I was recognisable to almost everyone and it took twice as long to get back.

When I eventually made my way back to the ward I passed a very pleased looking Charlie. I smiled and was a little taken aback when he stopped me.

"Edward." He offered his hand out and I reached out hesitantly to take it. "Thank you. I know I have been a nasty S.O.B with you these past few weeks…months even. But I want you to know how grateful I am. I can see how much you love my daughter and despite everything that's happened, I know you're good for her. Maybe now she can get her own life back on track, God knows she deserves it." He nodded at me, a genuine look of acceptance on his face. "I'll only be in Seattle for a few days and then I'm flying back to New York again. I know she's in good hands with you and Alice. Look after her for me."

"Of course, Mr. Swan." I smiled and watched him begin to walk away.

"Charlie," he corrected without looking back in my direction.

"Charlie." I smiled and then walked into Bella's room, finding her sitting up on the bed, dressed and ready to go.

"Oh, there you are, Edward. You finally managed to dispose of that weird hairy animal that had taken up pride of place beside Bella's side," Alice joked.

"I'd take him hairy or bald." Bella grinned and then reached over to take my hand. "Can we go home now?" she chirped up and looked at me expectantly.

"Angela's just gone to bring Dr. Zabir; he said he wanted to go over a few things before you leave." Alice began checking around the room to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

I sat on the bed beside Bella and brushed my lips over hers. "Malcolm can't wait to see you."

She smiled. "It feels weird, knowing I'm finally leaving. I swear to God I'm never setting foot in a hospital again."

Dr. Zabir came into the room with a very unhappy look on his face. "I need to remind you, Ms. Swan, that this discharge is entirely against medical advice. I would like to keep you in for at least another three or four days to ensure there are no further complications."

"Not a chance. I want to go home," Bella cut him off forcefully. "I need to start living again, Dr., and I can't do that in here."

He sighed but handed her a few waivers to sign and then gave her explicit instructions on how to care for herself at home. He stressed the importance of her taking care as the fracture was still healing, as was the rest of her body and she needed time to re cooperate.

Bella agreed to follow each of his instructions to the letter and then stood up excitedly. "Let's go," she trilled.

"Sit your ass down in that chair, Bella," Angela said, and waited for Bella to do it.

"Not a fucking chance, Angela."

"Bella, it's hospital policy. Come on, please stop being a pain in my ass," Angela said with a sigh.

"Angela, please I don't want to," Bella said petulantly. She folded her arms across her chest and looked at me for support. "Edward can hold my arm to make sure I don't fall, can't you, Edward?"

I looked to Angela who was glaring at me and then at Bella who was pleading. I knew who would win me over every time. I had never been able to say no to her, and I wasn't about to make a start now. "Okay, but the second you feel tired you sit in the chair. Promise?"

"Promise." Bella stuck out her tongue petulantly to Angela and then giggled.

"God, I swear if you weren't my friend, Bella, I would have slipped you a dose of laxatives by now. You are officially the worst patient I have ever looked after." She couldn't help but smile and even Alice giggled. "If I get fired for this I'm bringing you down with me."

"I'm glad we've got Bella back, but I won't take any shit from you, lady. The second you step out of the hospital, you're done with the special treatment," Alice teased and then pulled Bella into a hug.

"Ready?" I asked, and Bella nodded.

"Franz will be waiting outside with the car," I reassured her as we walked slowly out of the room.

Each of the nurses came to say goodbye. Even though she had been a terrible patient, she had come through so much that everyone shared the delight that she was finally going home.

It was only a short walk to the exit, but I could tell Bella was beginning to tire. However, in typical Bella fashion, she refused to admit defeat and persevered and walked to the main entrance. I kept her back by the door as Alice walked out to the car first. Franz put her bags into the trunk and then held open the door for us. Luckily, no paparazzi were loitering nearby so we made it into the car without incident.

The reality of the situation hit Bella as we drove through Manhattan. She hadn't been out in the city since that night, and she started to panic. I could see she was terrified and Alice and I exchanged a frantic look as her breathing grew shallow and rapid. Angela had remained at the hospital and we couldn't exactly stop and get her out of the car without drawing attention to her situation. I pulled her close to my side and pressed my lips against her forehead. She was cold, yet clammy at the same time and she was physically trembling.

"Ssh, Bella, we'll be home in a few minutes. Ssh," I soothed, and Alice took one of Bella's hands tightly and began to rub it reassuringly.

"You're okay, Bella. It's a big thing to be back out in the real world, try to calm down or we might have to take you back to the hospital," she warned, her voice still gentle as she tried to reassure Bella.

My shirt grew wet and I could see tears running down her cheeks, it pained me to see her like this, but at least we could hide behind the darkly tinted windows, the crowds outside oblivious to the goings on inside the car.

Franz to his credit, manoeuvred aptly through the busy traffic and we arrived home quickly. Unfortunately, the pavement outside my building was swarming with paparazzi and fans.

"Someone must have tipped them off," Alice groaned. "Probably one of the patients or visitors."

"Let me try and help, Sir," Franz offered and strode around the car. He beckoned Malcolm over and between them they managed to clear a path.

"You take Bella, and I'll grab her bags," Alice told me.

I stepped out of the car and wrapped my arm around Bella, carefully holding her against my chest. Franz and Malcolm took to her either side and helped us inside the building.

I knew there had been speculation in the papers about the incident on Valentine's Day, but no press release had been made. The police were still investigating and refused to comment on any details.

I could hear them shouting for details and trying to thrust the cameras into Bella's face. Not once in all the years I had lived this way, had I ever been anything but polite towards photographers. I appreciated that it was their job and I had taken on this lifestyle, knowing exactly what that would entail. But today I was enraged, today I wasn't going to let them invade Bella's privacy like this. One camera almost struck Bella's face and I snapped. I shoved the camera away roughly and heard it crash to the floor, followed by a tirade of abuse from the owner.

"I'm sorry, Sir. They began to show up about ten minutes after you left, I called the police to try and move them on, but you arrived home first," Malcolm apologized as soon as we were safely inside. "Miss. Bella, it's wonderful to see you again. If there is anything either of you need, please let me know, whether I am on shift or not."

"Thanks, Malcolm," Bella whispered. She managed a weak smile but she was visibly shaken, from both the experience of being out in the city and the scene outside.

Only once we were inside our safe haven did she begin to relax. I sat her on the couch and let her calm down. Alice hovered nervously, I could see she was debating whether or not to call the hospital but she never did, much to my relief. Even though it was unbelievably selfish, I wanted Bella home with me. I could take care of her better here than in that damn place. She needed to start moving on, slow journey or not, she needed to make a start and she couldn't do that in hospital.

We had been home for about an hour when Alice left. She promised to return later that evening with Angela and Jasper and I was grateful for some time alone with Bella.

"Can we go and lay on the bed?" Bella asked. "I want to try to sleep for a little while. I've missed this place so much."

"Sure." I helped her to her feet and then scooped her up. She didn't protest, I could see she was spent.

As we lay down, I kept her as close to me as I could, while being especially careful near her head. In just a matter of minutes she was asleep and the weeks of worry and stress seemed to evaporate in that very instant. She was home.

Even though it was just a few hours later that I woke up, those few hours had been the best sleep I'd had in weeks. I could feel Bella's fingers tracing my arm.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" I hovered over her, checking her face for any sign that she was hurting…physically hurting at least, because I knew emotionally, she was in agony.

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "I've got everything I ever need right here." She raised her chin and kissed me softly.

I hadn't asked the doctor about sex. I hadn't wanted him to think that was all I had on my mind, but in this moment I wished I had, because the need I felt was undeniable. Bella seemed to share my thoughts, because she pulled me down on top of her and the kiss intensified.

"Bella, we don't have to do this…" I trailed off as she began to push my sweatpants down. "I'm in no rush…"

"Don't you want to?" she asked quietly.

"Silly question," I chuckled. "But I can wait until you're ready, love."

"I am, Edward," she said. "Please?"

I stared at her for a while, searching for any trace of doubt in her eyes, but I saw none. I dipped my head and kissed her again, softly this time. "I promise I'll be careful, but if I hurt you…if you change your mind…"

"I trust you, Edward." She smiled, and her hands pulled up my t-shirt.

I sat back and pulled it over my head. Then, nervously, almost as though it was our first time, I helped her to remove her clothes. I never took my eyes from hers, I had to make sure she wanted this as much as I did, and only when I was certain, did I carefully inch my way inside her.

The weeks spent in the hospital with her, the agonising wait to see if she'd come through, and now the fact she was here with me…that we were together like this…it was indescribable. Nothing ever felt as good as it did at that moment. Bella's legs drew up and wrapped around my back, and she held onto my shoulders tightly. I was slow, and I was cautious, but it was enough for the both of us. I felt her tighten around me, and I let go.

"I love you," I told her, over and over.

"I love you, too, Edward," she breathed.

We lay there for a while before I asked, "Do you want to sleep again?"

"No. I hate the dreams…every time I close my eyes, I see…" She shook her head. "Maybe we could take a bath?"

"Whatever you want, love." I told her to stay on the bed while I filled the tub, and then carried her into the bathroom.

Even though Bella was facing her toughest challenge yet, I knew she could do it, she had to do it because she had so much to live for.

~x~

During the day, we had frequent visitors to the apartment. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and my parents and sister were eager to help Bella recover and knowing she had a network of support did so much for her. She still had the nightmares, she relived that night, every night, but I would always manage to wake her up and slowly but surely, as the weeks turned into months, the intensity of them seemed to diminish somewhat.

As soon as she felt well enough to leave the apartment, we drove out to my parents' house in the Hampton's and spent a few weeks there. When we were in the city, we took short walks in and around the park, and even paid a visit to Arts. Sandrine, Sally, and all the regulars were delighted to see her.

There was a minor setback, towards the end of March, we had another visitor. An unexpected and un-welcomed visitor. James had one last trick up his sleeve, one final attempt to worm his way inside her head even after he was dead.

He had listed Bella as next of kin—that we had learned in the hospital, but what we hadn't realised was what else that entailed. The visitor was the senior partner in the business James' father's had ran until his death. This man was also James' personal attorney.

He had flown to New York to discuss James Hunters' last will and testament. He produced a document which listed as the sole heir to his estate as one, Miss. Isabella Marie Swan. An estate which consisted of a penthouse apartment in London, a fifty percent share in his father's law firm, and the contents of various bank accounts which totalled to a staggering amount.

"It is entirely dependent on the current valuation of the property of course, but I would estimate Miss. Swan would be looking somewhere in the range of thirty to thirty five million." Laurent Victoire had revealed to a stunned Bella.

"Thirty million dollars?" I whistled.

"No, Sir—sterling. On current exchange rates, it would be approximately fifty five million dollars," he clarified and I mouthed a silent wow. "Before tax, of course."

Bella shrugged. "I don't want a penny of it."

The man looked at her in disbelief. "Ms. Swan, that is a life changing amount of money. Take a little time to consider your options. I was truly appalled when I discovered what he had attempted to do to you and I wouldn't want you to make a rash decision now, only to regret it later."

"If she said she doesn't want it, then she doesn't want it," I told him harshly.

Clearly he wasn't an observant man. He was sitting in an apartment valued at roughly the same price as the one James Hunter was bequeathing Bella and her father happened to be a multi-millionaire or perhaps even more.

He didn't relent though, "One thing Mr. Hunter despised, were charities. He hated the idea of helping those less fortunate. He was always of the belief, that one should help themselves and not rely on the hand of others. Perhaps, if you have no use for the money, it would be fitting to do with it what he would hate most of all?"

Bella's expression changed and she smiled. "Maybe you're right." She asked Mr. Victoire to leave his card so she could consider the offer and let him know.

"I have an idea or two, Edward." She smiled. "He despised Phil, Sarah, and Alice, too. I can give them some of his money, set them up for life and I know he would hate that. I don't know if Phil would accept it, but still regardless of what he chose to do with it—it would be a kick in the nuts to him, knowing people he detested had their hands on his money."

I held her face in mine. "Whatever you want to do with it, Bella, is fine with me. But, I would rather not have any of it spent on us, I want him out of your life for good and if we're living in a house or driving a car that his money paid for, well it would be like a cloud hanging over us."

She nodded. "I don't want any of it. But if I can help people who are important to me then I will."

She had set to work immediately, setting aside prospective amounts for Alice, Angela, Phil, Sarah, and various charities and organisations. She was true to her word and she didn't consider a dime for herself. There was one slight change in allocation of the money which was decided during a visit from my brother and sister-in-law.

We hadn't discussed the money with anyone as yet, it wasn't a subject Bella felt ready to broach, but then Rosalie had begun talking about the next step in her career. Feeling that she was too old to continue modelling on a full time basis, she was hoping to secure investment in a new range of clothing and was designing the line herself.

I saw Bella's eyes light up and she grinned. "Can I help, Rose?"

"You help?" Rose looked at her in confusion, "Um…sure…I guess. How?"

Bella told her and Emmett the full story and then immediately offered to fund the project.

"It won't matter then if it fails, Rose. You won't have to use your own savings or worry about paying back the money afterwards. I don't want you to see it as a loan or as me staking a claim in the business in any way. It's just a gift from the man who ruined your wedding."

I smiled at her enthusiasm, this was helping her heal. By being able to help others who had been affected by James, she was finally managing to get some closure for herself.

"Are you sure?" Rosalie asked.

"It's a no lose situation as far as we're both concerned. I don't want his money, Rose, but why shouldn't I have a little fun giving it all away?" She shrugged so nonchalantly it was amazing to see.

"Thanks, Bella." Rose hugged Bella "Wow this is going to be so exciting."

Seeing her like this, finally moving forward brought an old idea to the forefront of my mind. There was one more thing I wanted from her, one thing that I had no right to ask her at this very moment in time. Perhaps, it would be better if I didn't ask her at all, not until the very last minute and hope that she agreed.

Just after Rose and Emmett had planned their Valentine's Day wedding, I had promised Bella a special date, with no connection to any day in particular. No anniversary, no birthday or Valentine's Day, just me showing her how much I loved her. So I vowed to do just that.

For this, I certainly needed help, and as soon as I had a minute to myself, I picked up the phone and called the one person who I knew would help make it happen.

"Alice? It's Edward. I need your help."

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading—all mistakes belong to yours truly! I have the last chapter ready to post…do you want it today, or tomorrow? Either works for me, so I'll leave it up to you guys.**

**Thanks for reading and for your wonderful reviews! I love reading them :D**

**Bye for now,**

**Katy**

**xxxx**


	40. Chapter 40

**Not sure if you like to read and listen to music, but I had a small piece of music on repeat while I wrote this chapter and I think it fits the mood really well. (Esp. the latter half) If you're interested, there's a video on You Tube called _Carter, See You Next Fall _and it's from the soundtrack from an old, old, old, ER episode. I found it completely by accident and couldn't stop listening to it. It's pretty short, so you'll probably have to repeat it a few times :0**

**Chapter 40 - Absolution**

**BPOV**

If I had ever had the gift of foresight, if I could have been made aware of the consequences to every decision I made, then what would I have done differently?

The honest, painful truth to that question was probably nothing. Having now had Edward Cullen in my life, I simply couldn't imagine it without him.

At the time, deciding to go to London to celebrate my eighteenth birthday had been so trivial, so meaningless in the grand scheme of things, yet it had impacted my life forever. Was it not for that weekend, I would never have met James Hunter, the death of my mother would not have been my fault and I would never have left England to escape the guilt. I wouldn't have spent seven years in constant fear or lived through a truly horrifying near-death experience, but the most prominent factor was I would never have met Edward and I would never have found this life in New York.

It had been a tough road to travel. There were months of nightmares, panic attacks, and a constant battle to accept the fact that this time, James was really gone for good, but now I could see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I was going to put this behind me once and for all, I had to stop living in the past and look forward to the future.

I had a fantastic group of family and friends who helped me every step of the way. They knew when I needed to talk and, just as importantly, they recognised when I needed to be alone. There were still some things that I was working on; darkness for one. If I woke up in the dark, for one split second I would re-live that night with perfect clarity. It never happened much during the day, just when I was surrounded by the dark. Even Edwards's unbreakable hold in bed couldn't keep the fear away.

People who knew me, now knew never to approach me from behind. It hadn't even been an issue until a few nights after I arrived home. I had been standing gazing out on Central Park when Edward suddenly appeared behind me, his voice in my ear had quite literally terrified me and I almost passed out after suffering a rather intense panic attack.

But, for the most part, I was doing well. I hadn't returned to work at Arts, although I did want to at some point, I knew that I still needed to work on putting myself back together, one piece at a time.

I had several appointments with a therapist called Dr. Gerandy—a personal favour called in by my father—and we attempted to discuss everything about that night and how it had affected me. However, I never laid all my cards bare on the table. Purely because one thing in particular I wouldn't be ready to discuss for a long time to come; death. Not my own experience with it, but the fact that four people had lost their lives at my expense.

First and foremost, was my mother, obviously, I would bear those scars for the rest of my life. Then there was Felix and Harry. Two men doing what they had been asked to do; watch and protect me and they were dead because of it. Two more families ripped apart just like that…because of me.

However, my guilt for the death of the fourth person, no one understood. Yes, James Hunter had been the ultimate bad guy, yes he had destroyed my life and very nearly taken it, but still, the guilt remained. He had acted in that way because of some obsession with _me._ It may have been a psychiatric disorder; it may have been nothing more than he was a fucking monster, but still, because of his obsession with me, it had affected so many lives, so many people. Irrespective of blame, James Hunter was still dead and dead because of me. Period.

_If it hadn't been you, it might have been someone else. Someone who didn't have an Edward, an Alice, or an Angela to help them survive._

I should also point out, that in my conversations with Dr. Gerandy, I coincidentally forgot to mention Inner-Bella. I did imagine how that conversation would have gone down on more than one occasion

_So yeah, I feel guilty that the sick fuck who tried to kill me is dead, oh and I don't know if it's important but I can hear voices in my head. They're pretty much harmless; it's just my inner-me trying to persuade me to straddle my fiancé, Edward at every opportunity. Did I mention that she's a horny little witch?_

Some of her ramblings had certainly made me smile, midsession, earning me a peculiar look from Dr. Gerandy. I persisted with the appointments, attending the minimum number that he recommended, but they weren't really helping.

Only one person ever really helped me and I didn't need to pay him $300 an hour for the trouble.

Edward was my rock. Not once during these past few months had he ever expected too much of me. He knew instinctively if I needed a hug or if I just needed a minute to myself. He would listen if I wanted, or distract me if I asked him to, and every single day I couldn't believe my god damn good luck that I'd found him.

Surprisingly, James' estate had been settled quickly. He was survived by no other family members so no one had contested the Will. His father's long time business partner Laurent Victoire, had bought my share of the law practice, the apartment in London had been sold and the contents of James' bank accounts had been transferred into one of my own. My father had hired an attorney to oversee my side of things and after Estate tax and charitable donations; I was looking at $29,683,026—oh and thirty seven cents.

My feelings in regard to the money never changed, and I didn't spend a penny of it on myself. I had tried to give some to Alice but she refused. I had attempted to go through Jasper, her parents, and even making an anonymous donation into her bank account, but she was adamant she wanted nothing.

As I was investing in Rosalie's new venture, she gave me a fantastic idea. Alice loved clothes, Alice loved shopping, and Alice loved New York. So, we three became partners. I bought the premises, Rosalie designed the clothes, and Alice would be running the store. She just didn't know it yet.

Thanks to Rosalie, we managed to secure a small little shop, which had just become vacant. It was in a perfect spot from a retail perspective and it was situated on Fifth, literally a stone's throw from Edward's apartment.

We had it decorated and fitted out in a matter of weeks. Rose was still working on her own line of clothing, but she somehow managed to persuade Irina Perovski to allow us to stock some of her creations to sell. As soon as people heard she was part of our range, we were literally bombarded with requests from other designers and we actually had to turn some away.

The day we unveiled the store to Alice, I finally felt like I was giving her something back. A thank you for everything she had shouldered over the years, without ever complaining. She had unashamedly burst into tears and squealed in delight at the same time. As we were locked in the mother of all hugs I found I was crying too.

_Yea, you do that a lot these days._

"This is too much, Bella, I mean it must have cost..." Alice began to protest, her eyes wide with excitement, which she was unable to conceal.

I cut her off quickly, "Look, you wouldn't let me give you the money, so let me give you this. If you hate it, get fed up or whatever, then it's yours to do as you wish. I need to thank you, Alice, but even this won't ever be enough for what you did for me."

"You're my best friend, Bella. You know you would have done exactly the same thing." She looked around the room and blew out her cheeks. "What if I fuck up?"

"Alice, this will work. We have Irina on board, how can it not work?" Rosalie was almost as excited as Alice.

"No more on-line travel agent?" Alice grinned. "Oh, how will I endure that?"

"You're in?" I clarified and she responded with the most exhilarating smile I had ever seen from her.

"If course I'm in. As if I could ever turn down the chance to work anywhere involving designer clothing. Tut, tut, I thought you'd know me better than to even ask, Isabella Swan." She ushered the three of us into a hug and then began to plan the grand opening in true Alice style.

That had been two weeks ago, now we were approaching the end of May. I didn't have much of the money left. I had given some to Angela, Phil, and Sarah. I also donated a large chunk to the hospital and the rescue service that had pulled me from the water. I had donated money to organisations all over the place—cancer research, animal cruelty, homeless shelters, and children's charities to mention just a few. Edward was as eager to rid every last dime from my account and I wholly agreed with him. It was time to put James behind us once and for all.

We were about to take our trip to the Maldives, courtesy of Edwards parents and I couldn't wait. Alice had tried to warn us that we were going amidst their rainy season but I didn't care. Two weeks away from everything would be perfect, and in all honesty, I wasn't intending on spending much time out of the bedroom, so it didn't really matter if it rained or not.

_That's what I'm talking about. Mr. Delicious naked, sweaty, and all ours._

Much to my annoyance, I had become the latest model for Rosalie's new designs. She insisted on using me because she couldn't trust anyone else. I had pointed out to her over and over again that I was nowhere near tall enough or skinny enough to be a model in any universe, but still each week she would measure me and pin an assortment of fabrics across my frame, but never actually let me see the finished product.

Four days before our trip I woke alone, with a note from Edward on the bed beside me.

_Bella,_

_I had a little something to take care of, but I will see you for lunch though._

_Love you,_

_Edward_

_xxxx_

I grumbled to myself and padded to the kitchen. I hated to admit it, but whenever he wasn't there, I was lost. These past few months, I had literally spent every minute of the day with him and it had been perfect. We hadn't argued or sent each other crazy, it just felt right. We would be having words later though. _Something to take care of?_ What the hell was that?

I was standing out on the balcony, overlooking the park. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and I was basking in the glorious sunshine when my phone rang. Like the loved up fool it was, I answered immediately hoping to hear Edward's voice.

"Bella? Let us up," Alice barked. "We're downstairs."

"Why on earth are you here at this time?" I muttered. "Wait a second, who the hell is us?"

"Just do it will you, my arms are killing me"

I huffed and because I couldn't be bothered to traipse all the way downstairs, I put the key into the lock for our floor and sent the elevator down. As soon as the doors shut and the elevator began its descent I started to panic.

It was so irrational, I knew James was dead, yet, I couldn't help but feel like I'd just given him an open invitation to the apartment. I ran to the kitchen and hovered near the block of knives, waiting for the doors to open again.

Of course, when they did open, it was Alice and Angela who emerged, donned with all sorts of crap. Small cases, bigger cases, and a bag which looked to be holding clothes.

"Are you two moving in or something?" I asked nervously.

"Hey, that's an idea. Just think how much closer I'd be to the boutique." Alice laughed and then fished around in one of her bags before throwing something at me. "Here, this is for you."

I looked down at the envelope and opened it, not even trying to figure out what was going on. Edward, it seemed, had gone all romantic on me, it was a very formal invitation to lunch in Central Park. I was to meet him there at one o'clock sharp.

"Okay, so Edward and I are going on a date?" I looked at them and they nodded enthusiastically. "And you guys are here, why?"

Angela laughed and Alice rolled her eyes in disgust. "Bella, please. We're here to help you get ready. If it we left it to you you'd show up in a pair of shorts and one of Edward's sweaters. First things first, go and shower." She pointed toward to bathroom and waited for me to make a move.

"Wow, this is going to be such fun," I retorted sarcastically.

~x~

Three hours of torture later, I was ready. Why Alice felt the need to go to such extreme measures was beyond me. But, I suppose, this was Alice and she loved nothing more than playing dress up.

"Do I at least get to see?" I strained my neck around her as she fiddled with my hair. She had been curling it for a while, concentrating on every last strand. She put in a small piece of hair jewellery into the side of my head and then began to spray the whole thing furiously with hairspray. "Isn't this a bit much for lunch?"

"Trust me, Bella, it's perfect. Oh, shit, look at the time." Alice swore a few more times and then spun me away from the mirror and towed me to the elevator. "We're late."

"Alice, I'm not even dressed yet!" I protested but she ignored me.

Angela was quiet too, strangely so, something was going on here but I had no idea what.

As soon as we reached the lobby, I was dragged to a waiting car outside. Franz had the door opened and I was rather ungraciously shoved inside. Alice shuffled in beside me and then Angela followed.

"Jesus Christ, where's the fire?" I cursed, "And can you tell me why we're going anywhere when I've still got these on?" I gestured to my sweat pants and sleeveless top.

"I brought your clothes, Bella, don't worry." Angela was actually beaming as she spoke.

I tried to demand more answers but received no response from either of my so-called friends.

Sulking, I turned my attention outside. I didn't drive around Manhattan, but I did know enough to recognise we weren't heading towards the Boat House or any of the other few places we tended to eat.

"Alice, I swear to God if you don't tell me where we're going..."

"Please, Bella, for once just let it go. A few more minutes and you won't have any more questions. Please," she pleaded with me.

I shook my head, but kept my mouth shut. I was such a pushover. I was still scalding myself when I felt the car slow to a stop.

"Let's go," Alice commanded and didn't even wait for Franz to open our door before she jumped out of the car.

I followed reluctantly, feeling extremely self-conscious and nervous because it would seem I was the only one who had no clue what was happening.

Then I saw him and the panic and nerves evaporated in an instant. Edward smiled and then walked over. He was dressed in a very smart suit, complete with cuff links and very shiny shoes.

"We never said anything, Edward. The stage is all yours." Alice could barely conceal the excitement in her voice. "But you'd better explain, 'cos she's a little pissed."

Edward laughed and then held out his hand to me. "Can we take a walk?"

I nodded hesitantly and stepped closer. "Edward, will you please tell me what's going on? I thought we were going on a date."

"We are." He looked nervous and it was a few minutes before he said anything else.

I was just about going mad with confusion when he finally spoke. "Bella, I love you. I promised you a date, something romantic without any ties to anything. Well today is the 24th May. It's not either of our birthday, it's not our anniversary, or Valentine's Day. It's just another day that I love you even more. Marry me?"

I was baffled. "Um, Edward. You already asked me that at Christmas." I waggled my finger at him. "I said yes."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "No, Bella. I mean marry me today. Marry me now, right here."

_Well fuck me sideways. I certainly didn't see that one coming._

I let out a nervous gasp of laughter. "Here? Now? Like this?" I was in sweatpants for crying out loud. Even I wouldn't get married in sweat pants. "I can't...I mean look at me..."

"Already taken care of," he stated smugly. "Alice." I whirled around and saw Alice holding up a garment bag, an even smugger smile on her face. "Please, Bella."

He looked at me so intently, that I almost melted into a puddle on the floor. His eyes were so vulnerable for that split second that I couldn't have said no if I wanted to. But, I had no doubt in me at all, I really did want to. I wanted to be Mrs. Cullen.

I waited a little too long to answer and obviously Edward took that as a no.

"It's okay. I don't want to pressure you, Bella." He desperately tried to hide the sting of rejection. "If you don't feel ready to get married it's fine. Really it is."

"Give a girl chance to answer. Jeez." I giggled and his eyes lit up. "Okay, let's do it."

"Yeah?" he breathed.

"Yeah." I nodded furiously and he smiled, such a breath taking, smile that I knew straight away that this was the right thing to do. I loved him, I wanted to marry him, and holy shit I was going to marry him right now. "I'd love to marry you, Edward Cullen."

"Right, Edward, go. We'll need ten minutes to finish getting her ready, and then she's all yours." Alice chirped in my ear and motioned for Edward to leave.

He stole a quick kiss before he left, leaving me floating on the spot.

"You knew?" I accused, not particularly caring for her answer. It didn't matter.

"Yeah, he needed some help. He's been planning this for so long, Bella. I promise you, he arranged everything himself; I just gave him a helping hand. The only thing he had nothing to do with was your dress." She unzipped the bag. "Rose and I took care of that along with another co-conspirator."

"Rose?" Suddenly, I realised what the "modelling" had really been about; making sure the bloody dress fit. "Sneaky cow. Who else knows?"

"Just those who matter, Bella. Edward wanted to make it special for you, so he told people who he thought you would want to be here."

"Wow." I sniffed and had to wipe away a tear.

"Come on, you need to get dressed." Alice pulled me off the path and into a slightly obscured part of the park. "Angela, bring that sheet."

Angela held out a huge sheet and it kept me hidden from any passers-by. "This is so exciting, Bella."

Alice carefully removed the dress and I brought my hands to my mouth. It was beautiful, and simple and perfectly me.

I traced the edges of the material. It was a sleek silk material in ivory, with a strapless top. A thick belt of lace hugged my waist and then the silky material fell to just below my knees, the hem line was trimmed with another thick band of the intricately woven lace. Without even a thought to anyone who could be watching, I slipped out of my casual clothes and let Alice carefully pull the dress over my head. It fit perfectly and I knew instantly who I had to thank for designing it.

"Irina?" I smiled and Alice nodded.

"Rose called her, and she jumped at the chance to design a dress for you. She got Rose to check the measurements so you wouldn't figure it all out. Here, put these shoes on and you're all set, Bella." Alice crouched down and put a pair of low heeled strappy sandals on my feet. "The silver in the shoe, matches the piece in your hair."

Alice and Angela took turns changing their clothes, as I continued to try and absorb what was about to happen. Strangely, I felt no nerves, and no feelings of panic began to set in. Everything just felt meant to be.

"Alice, how will I be walking down the aisle?" I asked, "Is Dad here?"

"Of course he is, Edward told him ages ago," Alice responded as if it was glaringly obvious. "As if your dad would have missed this."

_Wow, Mr. Delicious needs to pay a visit to Buckingham Palace to receive his knighthood in person._

"Right, let's go." Alice clapped her hands like a kid at Christmas and then helped me manoeuvre my way out of the bushes without catching my dress.

I knew where we were going, the place I had always thought would have been the perfect place to get married, but never actually thought it would happen.

"Shakespeare Garden?" I whispered.

"See, he did everything you'd ever wanted. It's going to be amazing, Bella. Wait here, your dad's coming to meet you. I need to go and tell everyone we're good to go." Alice hugged me quickly and then skipped away with Angela.

They had just rounded the corner when my dad appeared. "Bella. You look just like...you're beautiful," he said, and held out his arm with a proud smile on his face.

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm really happy for you. I know I was an ass with the guy at first, but I can see what he's done for you and how happy he makes you. I can't fault him for that." He patted my hand and then we began to walk forward.

The flowers were in full bloom, a range of colours so vast it was surreal. I saw a few people gathered near the foot of the Shakespearean staircase. Emmett, Rose, Carlisle, Esme, Caitlyn, and Edward's nan. Jasper, Ben, Art, Seth, Garrett, and Johnny, too. They were all smiling at me, Alice was right—the people here were the ones that mattered to us.

I smiled as soon as I saw Phil, Sarah, and her husband, and, then a few tears ran down my face. As pleased as I was to see their faces, it wasn't for them that I shed that tear. A single seat had been left empty on the front row, and on it sat a photo. I was about five years old and wrapped up in my mother's arms, smiling like I had everything I ever needed. I smiled, because I knew that she was here with me…somewhere. She wouldn't miss this.

"Edward's idea," Dad whispered in my ear.

I looked up and saw the minister standing on the bottom step and then I saw Edward, waiting for me. The sun which filtered in between the blossom on the tree shone down on him like a spotlight. He looked so relaxed and happy, and so strangely different. I couldn't quite understand at first, he was in the same suit as I'd just seen, his hair was in its typically messy style but he looked like a different man. Then I saw his heart-breaking smile, his smouldering eyes, and I swear I could feel the happiness radiating from him.

I took Edward's hand and he pulled me close to him, neither of us caring for the official version of events. He placed a kiss on the tip of my nose.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Are you ready to begin?" the minister asked and with one more look of contentment, we nodded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today, to celebrate the union of Edward and Isabella," he began.

_Yeah, yeah, get on with it, man. We want to hurry up and get on with the whole lifetime of leaping, ripping, and straddling, of Mr. Delicious…our husband!_

Ah, Inner-Bella and Mr. Delicious, a match made in heaven. I smiled up at Edward, and I was that girl in the photo again, because thanks to him, I really did have everything I would ever need.

Despite everything, Isabella Swan was finally going to get her happy ever after.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Thanks to Prettyflour for prereading and to you guys for sticking with me during the repost.**

**I know it seems like a strange place to end, but after 40 chapters I was exhausted and think it was a good place to finish...hopefully you agree :0 I will probably write an epi at some point, and I was thinking of an outtake of the wedding/reception but for now I'll hit the complete button.**

**Bye and thanks again, **

**Katy**

xxxx


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